Queens of Botswana Trailer – FESCH.TV

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Heavy Metal is supposed to be white, male and mostly euro-centric. But like music has done since, well, we can assume the dawn of time, borders were crossed and now there’s a well- established and very different Heavy Metal scene in Botswana.
But this isn’t a story about the music genre – it is about what your love for music can do.
When Paul Shiakallis’ pictures of women in Heavy Metal gear standing in their real life surroundings in Botswana surfaced, I was intrigued. As it turns out, in the 70s tourists brought their rock and Heavy Metal vinyl to Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. They left a few of those records and a strong love for the genre behind. Out of that little seed grew a well-established and controversial scene, calling itself “Marok”, growing a community and a fashion, complete with leather and cowboy outfits and even spawning a few bands with an ardent fan scene meeting every few months.
But in a country where – despite many strides being made towards equality – women are still seen as lesser and as having to behave demurely and pristine, finding those images of female rockers was intriguing.
To be a woman in Botswana and to go your own path requires a strong backbone and an iron will. To be a woman and lover of Heavy Metal, that’s an even bigger test of courage.
The story of “QUEENS OF BOTSWANA” shows three very different women whose lives have been touched by their love for Heavy Metal, engaged by their involvement with the Marok – as the rock/metal scene call themselves – and infused with their need to be more. We follow them for a week on their way to a festival in Gaborone, but the show is not the main event.
Its all about Queen Ludo, Queen Florah and Queen Gloria. That’s what the women of the Marok are called – Queens.