Earlier this year, Panti shot to international prominence overnight after her Noble Call speech about the effects of homophobia captured the world's attention.
Rory O'Neill, the man behind the make-up, has been an ‘accidental activist’ for many years, campaigning for equality and free speech. The video of the Noble Call speech has catapulted him and Panti into the wider world, and Panti has become, in her own words, "a court jester, whose duty is to say the un-sayable".
The Queen of Ireland is a documentary film that follows Rory’s journey from the small Mayo town of Ballinrobe to striding across a world stage in six inch stilletoes.
Directed by Conor Horgan (One Hundred Mornings, Deep End Dance, The Beholder) and produced by Blinder Films (The Pervert’s Guide to Ideology, Citadel, One Hundred Mornings), the documentary has been in production for the last four years and will continue right up until the proposed same-sex marriage referendum in 2015.
The film builds an in-depth picture of a complex and compelling character through behind-the-scenes footage, extensive archive material and interviews with friends, peers and protégés. It has also been born out of commitment to the Equal Rights movement in Ireland, and a longing to document the changes that are rapidly occurring.
To continue filming, funds are required for crews and equipment, music and archive licensing and all the post production work that will go into getting this documentary over the finish line.
The team have set up an Indie Go-Go page to appeal for the public's assistance. This website allows people to donate any amount, anonymously or not.
