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Paper Dolls

Play trailer Poster for Paper Dolls 2006 1h 26m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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72% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 61% Popcornmeter 500+ Ratings
After Israel closes its borders to Palestinian workers, people from other countries emigrate there to find jobs. Among them are several individuals from the Philippines. The men, who consider themselves female, get jobs as caregivers for elderly Orthodox Jewish men. On their nights off they perform in a drag ensemble called "Paper Dolls."

Critics Reviews

View All (18) Critics Reviews
Michael Booth Denver Post The transsexuals muddle through, finding their way on the planet in a manner that can only provoke awe, no matter how silly their lifestyle will look to some. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 13, 2006 Full Review Ella Taylor Village Voice Paper Dolls, which tracks a group of [...] workers through their day jobs and drag act, is far from a chronicle of misery. Oct 11, 2006 Full Review Kevin Thomas Los Angeles Times Heymann brings to Paper Dolls not only an engaging poignancy and depth but also a powerful universality. Rated: 4/5 Oct 6, 2006 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter A very special example of when worlds collide...Heymann's camera explores a dark side... May 12, 2020 Full Review David Noh Film Journal International A real human story emerges, and you sincerely root for these unlikely, uncomely souls. Mar 1, 2007 Full Review Laura Kelly South Florida Sun-Sentinel Israeli filmmaker Tomer Heymann inserts himself into the story, and sometimes it seems, pushes it along certain dramatic paths. Rated: 2/4 Dec 14, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (10) audience reviews
Audience Member The topic has much potential, but the low budget doc never really convinces you to care for any of the individuals. A number of worthwhile topics are brought up but then never explored. There are probably only about 10 minutes of decent story in this film. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Documentary, concerning gay effeminate men who imigrated to Israel as health care workers. They started a drag troop called Paper Dolls, thus the title of the movie. At times this is appealing but not enough for one to really care of their plight. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I kept falling asleep. I was just too tired. It was interesting, but I didn't want to try to watch for the third time. You should learn something from everything you do, and this movie taught me that there are gay pride parades in Israel. Now the only thing I really know about Israel. Other than that it is full of Jews. I knew that. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member The dreaded three-and-a-half stars. I liked it, and there were nice moments, but it needed to be a bit more focused. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member This documentary had tremendous potential but failed to live up to it primarily because there were two directions it could go and it straddled both thus, doing neither full justice. In 2000, in response to the second intifada, Israel close its borders to all Palestinian workers and soon the parliament passed a resolution to allow foreign workers to replace the Palestinians working in jobs Israelis did not want. This film follows the lives of one such group of migrant workers who are from the Philippines. This groups of individuals are physically male but psychologically female. In their spare time they perform as a "lady-boy" troupe called Paper Dolls. The story starts as an exposition on the lives of a few members of the Paper Dolls who work as nurses or live-in nurses for older Israeli men. About a third of the way through, the movie becomes about the issue of immigration and how more developed countries allow in people from other countries and use them but give back nothing in return to secure the futures of the workers. I loved this part of the documentary more as it was the crux of the story, however, it came around too late. One day you are needed and working to earn pay and the next day you become "illegal" because your visa is withdrawn. All your rights (even the right to receive a gift of a yogurt drink from a visiting friend) are gone and you are herded into detention centers like cattle to be transported to slaughter. In one telling frame in the documentary, a member of the Paper Dolls shows Heymann a newspaper article about the proposal to expand or build some airport (Tel Aviv?) using migrant workers who will be housed in an enclosed and secure camp city. The Paper Doll member says, does this not look like what the Nazis built for Jews? Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member An outstanding film with extraordinary story. Splendid plot even though the movie lacks funds but they were able to keep up with the rest of the best movie in Hollywood. Good job Guys! Overseas working filipinos are really the present heroes of today. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Paper Dolls

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Movie Info

Synopsis After Israel closes its borders to Palestinian workers, people from other countries emigrate there to find jobs. Among them are several individuals from the Philippines. The men, who consider themselves female, get jobs as caregivers for elderly Orthodox Jewish men. On their nights off they perform in a drag ensemble called "Paper Dolls."
Director
Tomer Heymann
Producer
Tomer Heymann, Claudia Levin, Daniel Miran, Stanley F. Buchthal
Screenwriter
Tomer Heymann
Production Co
Heymann Brothers Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Sep 6, 2006
Release Date (DVD)
Mar 13, 2007
Box Office (Gross USA)
$36.1K
Runtime
1h 26m
Sound Mix
Dolby SRD
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)