Paper Dolls 

Directed by Tomer Heymann

This empathetic documentary chronicles the lives of a group of Filipino transvestites living in Israel and working as caregivers. Over the course of the film, Heymann befriends them and follows their daily travails as they care for the elderly, dodge the immigration police, rehearse their dance moves, and perform in the clubs of Tel Aviv as the Paper Dolls. Heymann's affection for the group is evident in scenes like the one in which they help him grapple with his own aversion to wearing women's clothing (and eventually put makeup on him). The film even deals tangentially with the constant threat of violence in Tel Aviv and how it affects the immigrants' state of mind. The only glaring omission is the question of the Dolls' sex lives, but perhaps Heymann thought a truly dignified portrayal shouldn't obsess over such tawdry details.

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