News

What:
The trailer of a documentary film titled Queens of Heart, directed by Jan Haaken, professor of Psychology at Portland State University and Wendy Kohn, president of Kwamba Productions, will be screened for the first time at a fundraising event this October. Queens of Heart tells the story of Darcelle XV & Co., a female impersonation club in Portland. This community event intends to raise funds for the completion of the documentary. The evening includes a charity auction and an opportunity for a question and answer session with Haaken and Kohn.

When:
Friday, October 8, 2004, 7 - 9 p.m.

Where:
Embers, 110 N.W. Broadway, Portland, Ore.

Cost:
Admission is free and open to the public. Suggested donation of $5 - $10 at the door.

Contact:
For more information, contact Jan Haaken at 503-725-3967 or Wendy Kohn at 503-985-3337.

Background:
Queens of Heart is a co-production of Portland State University and Kwamba Productions. Through humor, warmth and burlesque performance Darcelle XV & Co. challenges rigid gender stereotypes, offering a message of self-acceptance and appreciation for cultural differences. Queens of Heart portrays the role of the club in bridging differences in the community.

Jan Haaken has a background in clinical and cultural psychology. Much of her research and writing over the past 25 years has focused on storytelling, particularly on problems in the shifting meanings of gender codes in the context of social movements. Queens of Heart grows out of such a vision, as well as the political commitments that inspire it. Kwamba has produced a variety of media for educational markets since 1995, and their mission is to promote understanding of disenfranchised groups and affect social change through creative and innovative use of new media.

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