Paris is Burning: The Outtakes
A collection film of additional footage from Paris is Burning
Jennie Livingston
Director
Also Directed by Jennie Livingston
A first-person memoir, a family saga, and an essay about how American culture views loss and impermanence.
Is Alixe and Gwen's sexual disagreement the cause of their problems, or are their problems the cause of their sexual disagreement? And how should an artist nurture her vision: by seeking adventures on the edge or by staying home and writing poems? What's more real, our fantasies, or what we actually do? In Who's the Top? there are no right answers, just musical numbers.
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.
Uplifting interviews with comedians Reno and Diana Massa, the creators of HotHead Paisan, about their defiant encounters with homophobia.
