Love, relationship, wealth, betrayal, and breakdown all help a person to become mentally and emotionally strong. An individual finds solace when accompanied by someone who understands their thoughts, values, and emotions. But what if two contrasting individuals hold a similar emotional value, but differ in their thought process?
April Ashley, an LGBTQ+ activist, model, and author from Britain, found a like-minded person, yet a contrasting persona, Amanda Lear, at the club Le Carrousel de Paris. Their friendship remained strong for a long time before falling apart. The American multimedia artist and cultural curator, Zackary Drucker, is ready to present a documentary plot revolving around the life history of these women, titled Enigma.
April’s Life
April Ashley was born as a transgender woman and later transitioned to a woman. Throughout her career, April has worked as a fashion model, acted in films, performed at clubs, and written books. But her job as a drag cabaret in Paris in the 1950s under the name of Toni April helped her earn money. In the later years, she was one of the earliest people to undergo gender confirmation surgery in 1960. Her entry into the fashion world after the surgery paved the way for securing films and appearing on the cover of top magazines. April’s marriage to Arthur Corbett, a British aristocrat, gained significant media attention in the 60s. However, their marriage diverged due to Ashley’s identity and her romance rumour with Íñigo de Arteaga y MartĂn.
The Meeting Spot
Though April joined the team Coccinelle as a drag cabaret, her meeting with Amanda Lear at the club became a symbol of friendship. Amanda was working under the stage name of Peki d’Oslo. However, Amanda’s career in disco music soared during the 70s. She was one of the leading women in music, art, and fashion culture.
Two Paths
They maintained their friendship, but along the way, due to unforeseen circumstances, the relationship fell apart. Ashley was open and proud of her identity as a transgender woman and became a symbol of strength and acceptance. On the contrary, Amanda Lear always denied the rumour of her gender identity, and maintained and portrayed herself to the public as cisgender.
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Enigma
Zackary Drucker has exceptionally captured the nuances of their lifestyle in the film. The film also considers Ashley’s book, April Ashley’s Odyssey, as a strong basis to narrate the friendship between April Ashley and Amanda Lear.
Enigma can change viewers’ perspectives on identity and acceptance. It primarily focuses on the leading women’s ideologies, thoughts, social pressures and norms, and family while they navigate their love lives. This film, released on June 24, 2025, can be watched on Prime and is insightful.
Written By: Tejaswini Prasad