Elizabeth Miller-Derstine | USA | 2021
20 min

Welcome To The Dollhouse dives into the societal rules and expectations of how women celebrate their bodies and how they use them to show love and power. As the Disdress Dolls shimmy, shake, and strip their way across the stage, they challenge concepts of power and femininity.

Female bodies are political. Everyone has an opinion on how women should live in them and how they should be portrayed. The voices in the film push against mainstream views and ask questions like: what if laughter and sex go hand in hand? What is the line between exploitation and empowerment? How do we view maternal bodies, femme bodies, masculine bodies, large bodies? Celebrating your body is a rebel act. The film sparks conversation about what it looks like to live in, heal with, and present your body in a way that feels right to you.

By offering a vulnerable portrait of these performers and welcoming you into their playful and macabre world, Welcome To The Dollhouse explores the unique and intimate reasons these performers have delved into the world of sequins, thongs, and dance.

DIRECTORS BIO

Elizabeth Miller-Derstine

Elizabeth Miller-Derstine is a filmmaker based in Durham, North Carolina. She grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh and Lancaster, Pennsylvania before moving to Goshen, Indiana to attend a small liberal arts college. She graduated with degrees in Film and English in 2016 and is currently pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Documentary at Wake Forest University. During her time in undergrad she co- directed the award-winning feature documentary "Goshen Monologues: The Storytellers”.