This week on Out Takes we explored modern documentaries that continue the tradition of Frank Simon’s ground-breaking and now canonical 1968 documentary ‘The Queen’.

Our first guest was Mark Saxenmeyer, the director & producer of ‘The Queens’ which screened at this year’s Melbourne Documentary Film Festival. ‘The Queens’ explores the transgender subculture of competitive female impersonation within the chaotic atmosphere and excitement of the Miss Continental pageant which has been running for the past 39 years.

Our next guests were Isabel Peppard and Josie Hess, the directors and producers of ‘Morgana’, a fascinating new Australian documentary which chronicles the journey of Morgana Muses who went from being an unhappy housewife in Albury in her mid 40’s to a feminist pornography icon by 50. We spoke to Peppard & Hess about their relationship with the dynamic and enigmatic Morgana, the process of making this extensive project and more. ‘Morgana’ screens this August at the Melbourne International Film Festival.