In 2006, director Anna Margarita Albelo, aka Anna La Chocha, went to film her documentary "A Lez in Wonderland" at the Dinah Shore Weekend, the world's largest lesbian party and wild scene popularized by its appearance in the first season of the American drama The L Word. This humorous and deliciously summer-ific film was shown at the 2007 Outfest in Los Angeles, and also debuted in Japan at the 2008 Tokyo International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. During the Tokyo showing, the theater roared with laughter as the audience succumbed to Albelo’s light-hearted presentation, comedic antics, and the overall titillating journey.

Albelo, of Cuban descent and raised in America, has spent much of her time over the past 15 years living in France and now, ever the international lesbian, travels back and forth between LA and Paris. Her film has been released as a major production in France on the Canal Plus cable station, and in fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone there who has not heard of it. We caught up with her to find out more about her work, the path she forged to mainstream sponsorship, behind-the-scenes talk on production, the response to her film, and her own personal background.

LA-based fashion designer Vanessa Craig, also known for her event productions, such as Tokyo Wrestling’s own launch party, takes on Albelo for our interview. Vanessa herself became familiar with the Dinah Shore Weekend scene after introducing herself - and her brand - to the event two years ago. TW is now proud to present their conversation on lesbian scenes and culture.

Anna Margarita Albelo's homepage can be found here:　www.annaalbelo.com
Her Myspace page can be found here:　www.myspace.com/annalachocha

--Please tell us, what is the story behind you and ‘Paree’?

I moved to Paris in 1993, when I was 23. It’s hard to explain, but I had many different reasons for going - I loved the history and I love France. Also, since I grew up Cuban in America - where I spoke Spanish at home but was raised with an Anglo-Saxon thing, I never liked too much of either Latin or Anglo. In that sense, France is like a mixture of both to me. I can have Anglo intellectualism with Latin emotionalism!

There are so many paradoxes in France. I love everything it exemplifies.
Where you live tells a lot about you, and I like that. There’s a weird nonconformity about living in Paris. It has all these romantic images and at the same time it’s kind of difficult. In New York, only the strong survive, but in Paris, too, only the strong survive. However, it happens in a more finessed way. In New York, if you’re tough enough - if you’re strong enough, you can break down the doors. In Paris that doesn’t really work. You have to learn this kind of finesse to explain what you’re doing and then, just like any major city, you have to be tough. You learn how to survive by getting beat up.

--Interesting…

And the women…. I’ve only fallen in love with French women. It’s not an easy burden (shakes head). Not a light burden.

--I totally get what you mean.