Director: Tomer Heymann
Release Year: 2006
Synopsis:
Paper Dolls (2006) is a deeply moving and multifaceted documentary by Israeli director Tomer Heymann that brings to the forefront the lives of transgender Filipino migrant workers in Israel. These workers, who have come to the country to provide healthcare for elderly Orthodox Jewish men, lead lives marked by profound contrasts—facing societal marginalization while also finding a space of freedom and expression as performers in the drag queen group "Paper Dolls." Their story unfolds as a tale of resilience, struggle for acceptance, and the search for belonging in an often hostile world.
The documentary focuses on five transgender Filipino women who navigate life in Israel, where they perform as caregivers in a setting shaped by strict religious and cultural norms. In the Jewish Orthodox community, religious laws prohibit women from physically touching men who are not their husbands or close relatives. As a result, many elderly Jewish men rely on foreign male caregivers, often from countries like the Philippines, where people seek work abroad to support their families back home. These transgender women, each in different stages of gender transition, find themselves caught in a paradox: although they must present as men to fulfill the cultural and religious expectations of their clients, they are, in fact, women, living outside the gender binary. During their free time, they live out their feminine identities in public as part of the drag troupe “Paper Dolls,” performing in clubs in Tel Aviv.
The contrast between the women’s public and private lives becomes one of the key tensions of the film. On one hand, they are subject to the complex dynamics of their work, often seen as little more than laborers fulfilling menial tasks, and yet their performances as drag queens offer a space where they can express themselves without the constraints of gender roles. Despite the isolation of being foreign workers, far from their home country, and sometimes viewed as outcasts both by society at large and by the Orthodox community they care for, they find a sense of camaraderie and community in their drag performances. One of the central figures in the film is Sally (Salvador Camatoy), a compassionate and witty caregiver to an elderly Jewish man, Chaim, who has lost his voice due to throat cancer. The bond between Sally and Chaim exemplifies the emotional depth of the documentary, showing a profound friendship that transcends age, gender, and cultural barriers. Chaim, who cannot speak, communicates with Sally through poetry and words of encouragement, helping her learn Hebrew, all while basking in the warmth and humor she provides. The interaction between them provides a touching glimpse into how love and connection can exist beyond the limitations imposed by society.
In contrast, their lives are not without challenges, as when they are dismissed from an audition at the TLV nightclub, where they are wrongly relegated to the role of "geishas" and ridiculed by other performers as "unprofessional." This incident highlights the prejudices they face, even within the drag community, where their non-conformity and ethnic background render them outcasts once again. The film also shines a light on the broader context of migrant labor in Israel. The workers, mostly from the Philippines, are part of a massive wave of immigration that swelled in response to the political turmoil of the Second Intifada. These migrants, who fill jobs that were once handled by Palestinians, often work in precarious conditions. Their visas are dependent on their employment, and if they lose their job, they face the possibility of deportation. The documentary portrays the precarious lives of these women, who constantly worry about their future in a foreign land, as they navigate a complex relationship between their identities, their work, and their dreams of a better life for their families in the Philippines.
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Although the work they do as caregivers is grueling and often underappreciated, the film underscores the sense of purpose and empowerment that these transgender workers find in their drag performances. "Paper Dolls" becomes a space for them to express their identities and to build a community that supports them in a country where they are often seen as outsiders. The liberating atmosphere of Tel Aviv, in contrast to the more restrictive environments of the Orthodox households they work in, offers them a glimpse of the kind of acceptance they long for—acceptance not just for their gender identities, but also for their status as immigrants in a foreign land. The production of Paper Dolls spanned five years, with more than 320 hours of footage shot during that time. Heymann’s meticulous approach captures the complex emotional landscape of these women's lives, while also exploring the broader themes of immigration, gender identity, and the search for belonging. The film was originally created as a six-part Israeli TV feature before being condensed into its theatrical form. It was produced by Heymann Brothers Films in association with several other companies, and was well-received at international film festivals, including the Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Panorama Audience Award for a Feature Film. The film also garnered acclaim for its sensitive handling of its subjects and their stories, with several awards recognizing the best cinematography and music.
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Critically, Paper Dolls received generally positive reviews, with many critics praising the human depth of the characters, their resilience, and the poignant moments that emerge between the transgender women and their elderly Jewish wards. However, some critics also pointed to the documentary’s occasionally uneven pacing and lack of deeper exploration into the women’s personal motivations and dreams. In particular, critics like Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York and Wesley Morris of The Boston Globe highlighted the film’s ability to evoke both empathy and sadness, capturing the precarious position of these women as they are torn between two cultures and two identities—one in the workplace and one in the world of drag performance. While the film may have started as a documentary, its resonance led to a stage adaptation, produced in 2013 at the Tricycle Theatre in London. This adaptation, which was workshopped at the Sundance Theatre Lab in 2011, took the story in a new direction, with some characters being fictionalized and the focus shifted to themes of immigration, identity, and cultural clashes. While the stage production was met with mixed reviews, it was praised for its heartfelt portrayal of Sally’s relationship with Chaim, a key storyline that also resonated with audiences in the film.
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The aftermath of Paper Dolls also offers a bittersweet epilogue. Many of the women featured in the film moved to new countries, with some finding a degree of success in their personal and professional lives. Chiqui, Giorgio, and Jan went to London, where they found new opportunities and formed a new iteration of the "Paper Dolls" troupe. Sadly, not all the stories had happy endings. After Sally’s elderly ward Chaim passed away, she faced the invalidation of her visa and was forced to return to the Philippines. Eventually, she found work in Sharjah, UAE, but tragically passed away in 2007 under mysterious circumstances, a loss that left her family and the film’s director heartbroken. The film and its subsequent stage adaptation serve as poignant reminders of the struggles faced by marginalized communities—specifically transgender migrant workers—and the power of art, friendship, and perseverance in the face of adversity. In their quest for acceptance and freedom, the Paper Dolls are able to create a space for themselves, where they can embrace their identities and their voices, even in a world that often seeks to silence them. Their story is not just about gender or migration, but about the universal human desire for connection and the right to live authentically.
Image credits: YouTube
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