Amber Waze on candid documentary 'Dressed As A Girl'

In 2009, filmmaker and producer Colin Rothbart began investigating the drag scene that was rapidly growing throughout London’s East End. He soon began documenting the lives of six drag artists over a six-year process, which eventually became the fascinating and vital documentary, Dressed As A Girl – a huge hit on the UK festival front.

The film solely documents the lives and occupations of ‘Gay Bingo’ co-founder Jonny Woo, “tranny with a fanny” Holestar, ‘Burger Queen’ drag artist Scottie, transgender bike shop worker Pia, DJ extraordinaire John Sizzle and Manchurian pop star and model, Amber Waze. While the film explores all members of the gang, Waze is by far the most prominent as we follow her journey of gender transition from day one, as she boards the Glastonbury tour bus as Dean (her birth name), to finally becoming Amber.

“I just gave complete open access to everything,” recalls Waze, “my story is quite visual but from the beginning it became like second nature.” Waze was adamant from the beginning about staying true to her primary purpose behind participating in the documentary: to record her transition from start to finish. “The whole reason for documenting my transition is my way of showing and approaching this journey as a modern transgender woman.”

With Dressed As A Girl in development for a year, it was the perfect opportunity for each member of the gang to get acquainted while working in clubs, bars and festivals – candidly participating in much fun along the way. “We all came together through Johnny Woo, who really was the ringmaster,” says Waze, “but we were friends first and foremost and now always will be.” However, while performing is a significant part of the East End drag front, Rothbart was keen to document relatable and candid stories.

One of the most poignant stories told throughout Dressed As A Girl is Waze’s tumultuous relationship with her father – a result of him finding indecent texts and images on her phone years before. “It was very awkward when I saw my dad for the first time,” recalls Waze. “Meeting him a few years into my transition, with my name changed and after having completed my first few surgeries was terrifying.” She adds, “I think he always thought of me more as a feminine gay man rather than a woman.”

Waze recounts her apprehension and anxiety about seeing her father again after so long but adds that fulfilling it alongside Rothbart was a great comfort. “In a way I was scared, but doing it whilst being filmed was also a help for me,” she says. “It was quite soothing just to have somebody else there because I was really terrified as it could have gone either way.”

Witnessing Waze’s reunion with her father is truly an admirable and privileged segment of Dressed As A Girl. However, despite their previous animosity, Waze affirms that her newfound relationship with her father could not be better. “Our relationship is now absolutely amazing – he’s just helped me pass my driving test,” she says gleefully. “Going through my transition and coming into my own, I honestly do think he’s gained much more respect and admiration for me because I am now living the way I truly am – it’s really a Billy Elliot story.”

Despite the personal challenges and life hurdles that has come her way, Waze avows that time truly is the biggest healer. “If you put a situation in front of people, you’d be surprised how quickly they can adapt.” She adds, “I was going through a real identity crisis for a while in terms of my gender, and trapped in a situation when I had so much to do in regards to mentally preparing myself. Therefore, seeing my transition compiled into an hour and a half really was emotional, but the best thing I could have ever done.”

Since the beginning of her transition in 2009, Waze has gained an impressive and notable career as a model, performer and pop singer with an album launching in Spring of next year. However, Waze’s status has enforced something much greater to the performer. “So many people have come up to me since saying ‘I’ve got a father just like yours’ or ‘I was in a similar situation to you,’” she explains. “I’m not any kind of role model whatsoever, I’m just my own person living my own life but if there are any people going through the same thing and watching the film inspires them to get in touch with their father, or come out to their parents then that’s all I could ever ask for.”

Dressed As A Girl is a remarkable and admirable documentary full of collective truths. The underlying universal messages of Dressed As A Girl speaks to and beyond the members of the LGBT community examining themes of love, desire, sex, family, ambition, community, work, and personal challenges – but above all, is a story about remaining true to oneself.

“My story is really positive – more of a success story,” says Waze. “I just hope that for even one person to see this and get any form of encouragement, would just be amazing – that’s the reason I did it from the very beginning.”