At the weekend Absolut premiered Roxanne, a short film created by award-winning writer and Director Paul Frankl. Roxanne follows the story of a transgender sex worker, played by Miss Cairo, living and working in Soho London, who meets the motherless 12 year-old named Lily. Roxanne was created using 35mm film and was shot on location in Soho, London.
Frankl often presents ethically driven stories within his films, with the aim of raising the visibility of marginalised groups. Frankl wrote and directed Roxanne with the objective of exploring the universal themes of difference, self-acceptance and friendship, which everyone can relate to whether part of the LGBT community or not.
The 35mm film used to produce Roxanne creates a strong contrast between light and dark, which highlights the duality of Roxanne’s personality. Roxanne lives in two worlds: the night, where she picks up clients in clubs, and the day, where she lives in a world of isolation and calm control. The visual contrast also highlights her feelings for Lily juxtaposed against the exterior persona she presents on the Soho club scene. The character Lily represents youth, innocence and self-acceptance. The child accepts Roxanne without questions and aims to inspire hope. An additional theme explored within the film is the depiction of transgender people as sex workers, something that is often sensationalised within the media.
“Roxanne was an important project for me because I wanted to feature someone of fluid gender, without being defined by their sex. I feel this is an important step in the journey to a more accepting and holistic view of gender and identity”
, said Paul Frankl, Director, Roxanne
The premiere also marks the launch of the limited edition Absolut Colors bottle, which showcases the brand’s ongoing support for people who express their true selves through art, love or any other way, regardless of who or where they are.
About Paul Frankl
Paul Frankl is a writer and Director from London, who has a passion for telling ethically driven stories. He began his career working in production on the sets of features and shorts. In 2012, after having made his first short film and music videos, he won Bombay Sapphire’s Imagination Series competition, and his 5 minute script was produced and premiered at Tribeca 2013. Following this film, he knew that he wanted to make the 14 minute short Roxanne, following a transgender sex worker who takes in a young girl who has been abandoned by her mother – one of the first scripts he ever wrote.
You can now watch the full film on Vimeo: vimeo.com/108730876
About Miss Cairo
Miss Cairo is a performance artist, actor, dancer, singer and artist as well as a costume and wig maker. Cairo trained in physical theatre at East 15 Acting School. Identifying as a genderqueer, Cairo makes a living performing as a drag queen on the club and burlesque scene throughout the UK. Her half Egyptian heritage is an important part of her identity and, along with gender politics, is an important part of her work.
