Private Project

The Princess and the Peacock

Mona is a 22 year old trans girl from a small village in France. She puts needles attached to peacock feathers in her skin, under bright lights, late at night. She bleeds, half naked, in front of small crowds of people. Sometimes they faint whilst watching her.

Why would she do this? How did she learn to do it? And why would someone want to watch?

The Princess and the Peacock is a rare and intimate glimpse into a scene that hasn't been shown on film before- 'freak-show' performances amongst Berlin's FLINTA (femme, lesbian, intersex, non-binary, trans, a-gender) community. It is a film about courage, beauty and how to create your life. A film made by and with the FLINTA community, it is filled with ink and skin, and desire and beauty, asking us to look deeper, and confronting us with our own desires and expectations.
...

Transfeminine 'freak-show' performer Mona Guyard has built a cult FLINTA audience in Europe with her breathtaking and courageous performances. We follow Mona from a rural childhood through her discovery of drag and freakshow, to the development and premiere in Berlin of an astonishing performance involving 39 needles and peacock feathers.

Created by a queer team, this experimental documentary refuses normative representation of LGBTQI+ subjects. Instead the film pays homage to the queer magic of Derek Jarman and Kenneth Anger through a phantasmagoric tale of multiplicity, mystery and bloody transformation.

Keywords: #freakshow #healing #FLINTA #performance #peacock #Berlin #transformation
Exhibition Formats: DCP; MP4; Apple ProRes 422, 1920 x 1080, 48 kHz 24-bit audio, .mov wrapper.
English subtitles embedded

  • Daniel Baker-Wells
    Director
  • Daniel Baker-Wells
    Producer
  • Mona Guyard
    Key Cast
    "Mona LaDoll"
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Queer, LGBTQIA, freakshow
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 22 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 18, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Germany, United Kingdom
  • Country of Filming:
    Germany
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Ann Arbor Film Festival
    Ann Arbor
    United States
    March 28, 2025
    Award Winner: The Edge of Your Seat Award
  • Athens International Film and Video Festival
    Athens, Ohio
    United States
    April 10, 2025
    Official Selection: In Competition
  • Wicked Queer: Boston’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival
    Boston
    United States
    April 6, 2025
    Official Selection: In Competition
  • International Feminist & Queer Festival Red Dawns
    Ljubljana
    Slovenia
    March 7, 2025
    Official Selection
  • Les Mains Gauches
    Marseille
    France
    September 14, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Exposures Montreal Trans Film Festival
    Montreal
    Canada
    September 20, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Aesthetica Film Festival
    York
    United Kingdom
    November 8, 2024
    Official Selection: In Competition
  • Queer Film Festival Utrecht
    Utrecht
    Netherlands
    September 2, 2024
    Official Selection
  • Onion City Experimental Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    April 6, 2024
    Official Selection: In Competition
Director Biography - Daniel Baker-Wells

Daniel Baker-Wells is a queer, non-binary visual artist, curator and filmmaker. Their work is informed by queer, feminist approaches to ecology, labour, gender and identity.

They are the founder of Queer Ecologies Learning Programme; and co-founder of The Blue House, a collective of BIPOC and LBGTQIA artists working across sound, poetry, installation, activism and performance.

They have been commissioned to create performances, installations and exhibitions by Tate Modern, Wellcome Collection, Science Museum, National Maritime Museum and Sutton House.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I believe in the potential of filmmaking as a radical and accessible medium in these times of crisis and division. I want to tell compelling stories about people on the margins who live their lives with bravery and intensity.

I have been working with Mona Guyard (the protagonist of the documentary) since 2022. When I first encountered her performances, I knew I wanted to capture the story of such a gifted and fascinating artist. I believe that Mona's approach and her connection to the FLINTA community, represents a fresh and invigorating perspective.

The film is visceral and has strong content, but I believe in the power of Mona's work to engender compassion and connection. Together, we have tried to create something that is beautiful, compelling and thought-provoking. A film with unforgettable images and themes that will resonate with many in the LGBTQ+ community and beyond.

My own cinematic icons are Derek Jarman, Kenneth Anger, Claire Denis and Radu Jude, and like them, I'm interested in pushing the boundaries of the cinematic image in ways that are challenging and thrilling for an audience.