By Alex Banx
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 03/05/2026
If you’re not familiar with Tura Satana, she is one of the most influential Asian American feminists in American film history. TURA! tells one of the most important stories this country has produced. While the film is inspiring and empowering, its importance lies in witnessing Tura’s life and finally giving her the recognition she earned for decades.
Tura is Varla, her legendary role in Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!, directed by Russ Meyer. When it came out, the movie flew under the radar. A few oddballs loved it quietly, passing it around to their friends under the surface, but her work wasn’t celebrated the way it should have been. Thirty years after its release, more people finally started seeing her greatness; not just in the film, but in everything she brought to the screen and into our lives.
The film also highlights the cultural forces stacked against her as an Asian American woman: misogyny, racism, and abuse that shaped her life and her work. It’s an honest look at a woman who refused to submit.
Satana had many friends, many lovers, fans, and made good money. Tura Satana was not looking to be saved and never waited for approval. She didn’t ask. She demanded. TURA! honors that demand, her survival, and the power she claimed.
If there were goddesses in our times, Tura Satana was surely one. Strength, courage, and beauty defined her, and she left a legacy that can never be taken away.
You can watch TURA! ad-free for free on the Kanopy app with a library card, or on several other popular streaming services, most with ads.
Selected Filmography:
Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill! (1965) – Varla
The Astro-Zombies (1968) – Satana
The Doll Squad (1973) – Nose Job
Sugar Boxx (2009) – Judge #1
