You won't be disappointed!

Beautiful, moving film.

A Major Disappointment

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

This documentary from film maker Conor Horgan ('One Hundred Mornings') is a journey of gay rights in Ireland as seen through the experiences of the undoubted Queen of Ireland Rory O'Neil aka Panti Bliss.It uses archive material and footage filmed for the film to tell us his life story and the ups and downs of being gay in Ireland. We also have pieces from Senator David Norris – 'The first gay man in Ireland' who still carries the torch of equality. Alongside the personal story we also get Ireland's road to referendum on changing the constitution to allow gay marriage and the fanatical opposition from certain parts of society. The whole film holds together incredibly well and is in parts uplifting, moving, frustrating and very human.The serious side to life is brought to the fore which is a real juxtaposition of the role of a drag queen, which as Rory O'Neil explains is akin to that of an old time court jester – often saying the things that others steer away from, making fun of them and spreading mirth and joy. He is a marvellous man and I have to admit Panti Bliss is a stunning woman. He will brighten up any room that is lucky enough t have him/her grace it. A truly wonderful film and now I shall stop gushing and go and straighten up my mascara.

Yes I finally got to see this today! I absolutely enjoyed this documentary because well, where would you find a documentary film about a drag queen in Ireland?! I honestly loved how he told his story to really be aware of who he is. I would describe him as a sweetheart who is brave and isn't an attention seeker. He used his speeches to really reflect on people who aren't proud of who they are. I mean we all shouldn't be afraid to show our true colors but at the end of the day, it's up to all of us to do that!I am glad that it showed the day of Ireland becoming the first country to now allow same-sex marriages back in May of this year. It is very emotional when you never experienced a pride in Dublin before and you see people with such light on their faces because no referendum was a big deal until this. If I wasn't living out in the countryside and not in college that Friday, I would've loved to have taken part with the massive crowd lol. Panti should definitely gain a noble prize of her speeches, you normally don't get a famous Irish person of doing speeches. She is an inspiration for Ireland!

Although Panti Bliss has performed in cities all over the world I wonder just how well known she is outside of Ireland and by that I mean within gay circles, outside of which I am sure she is virtually unheard of. Here, of course, she is simply The Queen of Ireland, an iconic figure known the length and breadth of the land, a gay icon and a 'heroine' to the Irish people. 'She', of course, is a he for Panti is a drag artist who in 'real life' is a handsome, slightly rugged small-town boy called Rory O'Neill who might have passed into obscurity, like so many drag artists before him, were it not for a few crucial events, both in his life and in the life and fabric of Irish society.Firstly 'Panti' appeared on RTE's Saturday Night Television show where his comments lead to law suits being taken out against the station leading to an out-of-court settlement and a public apology. This, in turn, lead to a public outcry and an attack on the validity of the Irish media by members of the Irish parliament and to Panti being invited to address the audience, in the form of a Noble Call speech, at Ireland's Abbey Theatre, (filmed naturally and subsequently going viral on Youtube). After this, it only seemed natural Panti would become the poster 'girl' for the Yes Campaign in the Equality referendum that lead to Ireland being the first country in the world to vote yes for same sex marriage. Panti's role in the campaign was almost certainly the defining reason for the massive yes vote.All of this and more is chronicled in Conor Horgan's terrific documentary "The Queen of Ireland" which begins on the day of the vote then takes us back, via home movies and various other footage, through Panti/Rory's life. This is a funny, deeply moving picture of one boy's life in the first instance and of a history of the Gay Right's Movement in Ireland in the second, making it a wonderful historical, as well as a wonderfully personal record, fueled by its tremendously likable central character.Panti is, of course, the ideal drag queen; funny, eccentric and so over-the-top she's already half down the other side, a cartoon woman as she describes herself, part Betty Boop and part Jessica Rabbit while Rory, her real-life alter-ego, is the sweetest of men who simply can't believe his own good fortune and who has taken the blows that life has dealt him with a self-regarding shrug and a 'let's get on with it' attitude. Of course, as a gay man growing up in rural Ireland he was blessed with a highly supportive family and a community that was more embracing than not, (his return to his home town in the guise of Panti is one of the film's highlights). Here is a 'gay' movie with the widest possible appeal which certainly shouldn't be missed and could well push Horgan towards a Best Documentary Oscar next year.

Wonderful documentary about Rory O'Neill, aka Miss Panti Bliss, the Que en of Ireland. The film deals with Rory's life from growing up in the small town of Ballinrobe in Mayo, to the start of his career as a drag queen in Tokyo and Dublin and his political activism in recent years.Much of the film deals with the same-sex marriage referendum, which Panti was a prominent campaigner. This was preceded by Pantigate, and his brilliant Noble Call speech which was tweeted around the world with endorsements from celebrities from Stephen Fry to Martina Navratilova.The film gives a good overview of the struggle for LGBT equality in Ireland from the 1970's to the present day with contributions from some of the leading figures such as David Norris and Tonie Walsh.But ultimately the film is a very personal film about Rory O'Neill and it concludes with a homecoming show in Ballinrobe where he returns as a star.The film is hugely enjoyable, as Rory/Panti is a very likable character and shows how and why Miss Panti Bliss is so popular in Ireland today.Just a warning, if you have read Panti's book Woman in the Making and seen his stand-up show, there isn't much more information in the film other than the footage around the referendum and his homecoming to Ballinrobe.