Directors often work with the same actor on a bunch of movies. Tim Burton has Johnny Depp. Martin Scorsese has Leonardo Dicaprio. And John Waters had… Divine. Working on films like Pink Flamingoes, Female Trouble and Hairspray together, the pair produced films that continue to define the words ‘cult’, ‘camp’ and ‘cunt.’

Director Jeffrey Schwarz recently released his documentary, simply-titled, I Am Divine, all about the drag superstar’s life from her humble beginnings in Maryland to her passing at the age of 42 in L.A. Everyone should see this phenomenal movie and find out why she should be be remembered for so much more than eating dog shit.

Why did you decide to make this documentary now? Do you feel drag has become mainstream again and the time is right? 
At this time where the LGBT community is quickly becoming absorbed into mainstream society, I think it’s important to celebrate outsider artists like Divine. It’s always the rebels and the freaks that make life easier for the rest of us. Divine succeeded in becoming an internationally recognized recording artist and screen icon and gives courage to anyone who’s ever been mocked, ridiculed, or ostracized. His story gives us hope that anything’s possible. It’s kind of the ultimate, “It gets better” story and he’s a poster child for misfit youth. I wanted the next generation to get to know their Queen Mother and find inspiration to fulfill their own creative destiny in his story.

Are there parts of Divine’s personality that resonated with you?
Divine was a fantastic and brave performer, a fine actor, and a warm, generous person. I wanted people get to know the man behind the mask of the Divine character. He couldn’t have been more different than the characters he played in the John Waters films, but people just assumed he was that way. It was actually a great frustration for him.

Do you think Divine regretted the dog shit incident in hindsight?
Yes and no. It was the thing that propelled him and John Waters into infamy and helped make them underground superstars, but he got really sick of talking about after a while. It’s certainly not the most interesting thing he ever did, or even the most jaw-dropping. I think giving his on-screen son a blow job in PINK FLAMINGOS is a LOT more shocking.

Are you working on any more documentaries?
My next project is called TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL. It’s the story of matinée idol Tab Hunter and how he went from being a teenage stable boy to one of the biggest Hollywood stars of the 1950s. He was gay of course and the movie is about the tension between being presented as the boy next door and every girl’s dream date, but in reality keeping a very big secret. I met him when we interviewed him for I AM DIVINE about co-starring in John Waters’ POLYESTER. We hope to be on the festival circuit next year so keep your eyes peeled!

I AM DIVINE is out now from Peccadillo Pictures on DVD and On-Demand from all good retailers.