PARIS IS BURNING
Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia and transphobia, racism, AIDS and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens and transgender women — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey and Venus Xtravaganza — PARIS IS BURNING brings it, celebrating the joy of movement, the force of eloquence and the draw of community. (Note courtesy of Janus Films.) DIR/PROD Jennie Livingston. U.S., 1990, color, 76 min. RATED R
Digitally remastered by the UCLA Film & Television Archive in conjunction with the Sundance Institute and Outfest UCLA Legacy Project. Preservation funded by the Sundance Institute, Outfest and the Andrew J. Kuehn Jr. Foundation.