Drag superstars are not born fully formed, bursting out of the crib ready for their close-up. It takes time to develop one’s artistry. And that is also the case with BeBe Zahara Benet, who was the first-ever winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” in a moment when no one had heard of such a competition and when the latest young crop of queens were entering elementary school. As it happens, the cameras were on Marshall Ngwa, aka BeBe, early in life, growing up in Cameroon and then France before settling in Minneapolis and developing a beloved drag persona. And it’s this 15-year-long accumulation of archival footage that forms the fascinating backstory of BeBe’s stardom in the new documentary “Being BeBe.” We love the prospect of peeking backstage to watch a legend in progress, and we’ll be ready for the doc’s premiere at this summer’s Los Angeles’ Outfest. After that it’ll surely sashay its way into theaters and streaming platforms before year’s end.
