My Way
Gender and Identity in British Cinema

Kinky Boots

Director: Julian Jarrold
Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Joel Edgerton, Sarah-Jane Potts
United Kingdom, 2005, 107’, color
English with Turkish subtitles

Charlie Price (Joel Edgerton), owner of the traditional men's footwear factory that has survived in his family for generations, faces the imminent closure of his beloved business which would have a severe impact on the employment prospects of local people. That is, until a chance meeting with flamboyant cabaret act Lola (Chiwetel Ejiofor) convinces him that, to stay afloat, his company's footwear range will have to branch out. Turning out stylish kinky boots for transvestites like Lola and her colleagues is not quite what he had in mind... This heartwarming and hilarious comedy, inspired by true events, shows what really happens when people who have spent their entire lives trying to fit in suddenly decide to truly stand out.