I’m Wanita

The story of a starlet chasing fame to fulfil their destiny is a tale as old as time. In I’m Wanita, director Matthew Walker strips back layers of glitz and glamour to present an unvarnished and unapologetic look at Wanita, Australia’s self-proclaimed ‘Queen of Honky-Tonk’. Still grasping for recognition later in life, we follow the renegade country music singer on her quest to record an album, and the hectic energy that follows.

Who the fu%k is Wanita, you ask? We first glimpse the fiery red-headed goddess walking through the desolate Australian bush. A self-confessed binge drinker, smoker, former prostitute, God-lover, divorcee and mother, Wanita lives in Tamworth, NSW, and is hell-bent on making it as a country music singer. Trapped in ‘the wrong era’, her icons include Loretta Lynn and Hank Williams. While she has enjoyed moderate success – including a tour in Sweden – this has been marred by obstacles that include autism, motherhood and marital tensions with her 70-year-old Turkish husband Baba.

‘Honkytonkville’, Wanita’s humble abode, is central to much of the chaos. Baba disapproves of Wanita’s dreams, largely because her passion for music and singing has a very little ROI. Their arguments are unashamedly raw and provide a fly-on-the-wall experience (which may or may not be the type of drama you thrive on).

Cracks emerge within her inner circle: Wanita’s relationship with her daughter is fractured; her relationship with manager, Gleny Rae Virus, is strained. On the other hand, we see Wanita’s compassionate and kind nature with the myriad of strangers that she encounters, including a nomad named Archer, who becomes her vocals and travelling buddy. Flamboyant, frantic and crass, the crux of Wanita’s setbacks is her inability to be vulnerable and sensitive to the people closest to her.

Now in her late 40s, Wanita embarks on a last-ditch attempt to record an album in Nashville. Gleny Rae Virus and Archer accompany her. The doco charts their experiences in America’s music scene on the streets and studios of New Orleans, the birthplace of rock ‘n’ roll in Memphis, and Tennessee, the Mecca of country music. For music lovers, this is where the doco really shines.

Supported by unlikely ally Billy Yates, a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter and producer, Wanita pours her heart into recording her album (I’m Wanita). Infusing her distinct charm, style, presence and exceptional vocal range in her music, Billy Yates labels her an artist not a singer. That distinction couldn’t be truer. Wanita is someone who lives and breathes the art form; she is dazzling, impressive and very unpredictable, but above all, she is a terrific artist.

I’m Wanita is magnetic and wholly unique. In fact, I enjoyed the doco more than anticipated. Perhaps it is the sort of escapism we need. Wanita is a vision. You can’t help but feel drawn to her shambolic home life, her larger-than-life persona, her unpredictability, her adventures in the big lights of the US and her relationship with fame. The film is about the power of music, the complexity of human relationships and grandeurs of delusion.

In cinemas now.

I’m Wanita
In cinemas now
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