Rosa Does Joan

Directed by Nao Bustamante

In arguably her most widely seen ‘performance’ Nao created the character of “Rosa” the exhibitionist, to appear on the Joan Rivers Show in 1992. Sandwiched between a binocular-toting Manhattan voyeur and a naughty public access TV actress, “Rosa” described her lifestyle as a “stunt exhibitionist”. Unbeknownst to the audience, the “Rosa” character was mostly a fabrication, allowing Nao to roll out a kinky sex-positive spin, mindtripping Middle America while those in the know basked in the televised glow of her performance art prank. Based on the experience, Nao later constructed the video/performance “Rosa does Joan” for Artists Television Access in San Francisco.