Paris is Burning

1990, U.S., 78m, DCP

Showtimes & Tickets

Screened June 8, 2022

An invaluable time capsule of late-1980s Harlem and Greenwich Village — where NYC filming spanned several years — crammed with lines you’re just waiting to use in life (many uttered by MC Junior LaBeija), Livingston’s documentary celebrates the inclusivity and resilience of drag balls/ballroom culture; the Houses proud here include those of LaBeija, Xtravaganza, Ninja, Saint Laurent, Pendavis, and Corey. The movie catapulted “voguing” into mainstream consciousness; its eclectic soundtrack includes, indelibly, Cheryl Lynn’s “Got to Be Real.”

A film by Jennie Livingston