Paris Is Burning
Paris Is Burning • 1h 17m
Directed by Jennie Livingston • 1990 • United States
Starring Dorian Corey, Pepper LaBeija, Angie Xtravaganza
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, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans 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.
Up Next in Paris Is Burning
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PARIS IS BURNING Commentary
This commentary track, recorded in 2005, features director Jennie Livingston, Willi Ninja (mother of the House of Ninja), Freddie Pendavis (House of Pendavis), and editor Jonathan Oppenheim.
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Discussing PARIS IS BURNING
In this interview, director Jennie Livingston is joined by PARIS IS BURNING performers Freddie Pendavis and Dr. Sol Williams Pendavis, along with filmmaker Thomas Allen Harris. It was recorded in New York City in 2019.
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Jenni Olson on PARIS IS BURNING
In this interview, conducted in 2019, LGBT film historian Jenni Olson situates PARIS IS BURNING within the history of queer cinema.
