It has now been three decades since a bus called ‘Priscilla’ drove through the outback, on to our screens, and into Australian hearts. Drag queens from around the nation are celebrating the film’s 30th anniversary at the ‘Broken Heel’ festival in Broken Hill. They are looking back at the movie’s legacy while also kicking up their heels.
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00:00Amanda Screetley is living her childhood dream of performing in drag across the country.
00:07Oh that works really well actually.
00:10Amanda, aka Tom Henderson, grew up between Bourke and Wilcannia on a working station as one of four boys.
00:18But after watching Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, life was never the same.
00:22It made it not a thing that happened in the cities or something that happened overseas or something like that.
00:29It was like people like that are here and I can be like that here.
00:33That was pretty, that was a pretty big important part of it for me.
00:37Scenes of the main street and the Palace Hotel put Broken Hill in the spotlight
00:42with the outback city embracing this fame in recent years alongside all things Priscilla.
00:47In 1994 that was the only movie that I ever saw that was queer.
00:51You know being belted up by cops and whatever. I could identify with it.
00:57After almost a decade, this year's Broken Hill festival is being billed as the last
01:02so organisers can turn their attention to other projects.
01:05And 30 years on from the film's release, some are asking whether the film still holds up
01:10particularly the way it depicts gender and race.
01:13I love the fact that the film puts our trans brothers and sisters and family right at the centre of our queer community.
01:21We've learned, we've learned how to do better.
01:24Whatever its flaws, Priscilla still holds a special place in Amanda's heart.
01:28There are still kids out there who are finding it and realising how big their community is.
01:34That's like why it's still relevant today.