Paper Dolls (film)

Paper Dolls Hebrew , Bubot Niyar is a 2006 documentary by Israeli director Tomer Heymann, which follows the lives of transgender migrant workers from the Philippines who work as health care providers for elderly Orthodox Jewish men and perform as drag queens during their spare time. It also delves into the lives of societal outcasts who search for freedom and acceptance.

The documentary followed five Filipino transsexuals, each in different stage of gender transition and often referred to by their feminine names, who have emigrated to Israel to work as health care providers for elderly Orthodox Jewish men. Religious rules forbid the Orthodox men from being touched by women, so their carers must be male. On their nights off, the transsexuals perform in Tel Aviv nightclubs as a drag group called Paper Dolls. They are among 300,000 foreign immigrants who came to Israel in the wake of the Second Intifada to fill lowly jobs that had been handled by Palestinians. Their status is precarious because they cannot file for citizenship and their visas are revoked if they lose their jobs. Although the task of taking care of the elderly is not easy, the liberal atmosphere of their adopted country has allowed the Paper Dolls to be free, despite being viewed as outsiders, and they are able to earn enough money to send support to their families in the Philippines.A main story told in the documentary concerns the relationship between Sally and her elderly ward Chaim, who lost his voice due to throat cancer. He urges her to learn Hebrew by having her recite a poem written by Yehuda Amichai, while he basks in Sallys warmth and wit. In contrast, when the Paper Dolls were arranged for an audition at TLVthe largest nightclub in Tel Avivthe booker instead relegated them as geishas. They would bow by the entrance and were described by the booker, as well as other drag queens, as unprofessional and fit only for a bus stop. ........

Source: Wikipedia