'I am Divine' Debuts in South Florida -

Miami, grab your cha cha heels. I am Divine will make its South Florida debut at the 15th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival this week.

The documentary tells the story of Harris Glenn Milstead, better known as Divine, the larger-than-life actor and drag entertainer. He first gained notoriety in John Waters’ amazingly low-brow and low-budget movies in the 1970s, such as Pink Flamingos and Female Trouble. Most viewers probably know him as loud, doting showbiz mom Edna Turnblad from the original Hairspray.

(c) 1988 New Line Cinema, (c) 1972 Saliva Films — Divine as Edna Turnblad in Hairspray (left) and as Babs Johnson in Pink Flamingos.

In I am Divine, director Jeffrey Schwarz goes underneath the mountain of wigs and face paint to reveal a fascinating portrait of the man whom Waters once proclaimed “the most beautiful woman in the world … almost.” Schwarz mixes heaps of archival footage with new interviews featuring Divine’s mother, friends, and fans.

Glenn Milstead, aka Divine, in high school.

We learn about Divine’s early life, growing up in Towson, Maryland, the only child of conservative, Baptist parents. We learn about the bullied kid who secretly played dress-up in his mother’s clothing, and the estranged son who found a new family in a group of Baltimore hipsters. Then there’s Divine, the brash alter ego who became a cult icon. As a cult movie legend and club performer, he sought respect as a character actor and was on his way to the mainstream. He died way too soon, in 1988, at the age of 42.

I am Divine was completed with the help of Kickstarter. The campaign raised $51,840 for post-production, almost $12,000 more than the goal. (Full disclosure: I’m proud to say that I joined at the $25 Pervert Level.) The film made its world premiere in March at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, almost 25 years to the day since Divine’s death. It’s been making the festival rounds since, getting positive reviews.

“I am Divine” plays Friday, May 3 @ 9:30 pm, The Colony Theatre on Lincoln Road, $15 film only, $30 film + High Heel-High Hair After Party at the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival runs through Sunday, May 5. For tickets and more information, visit www.mglff.com.