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Poster for Paris Is Burning

Paris Is Burning

1991 · 78 min

A vibrant, intimate immersion into a defiant subculture, brimming with wit and heartbreak, that feels both celebratory and elegiac.

Tagline
Having a ball… Wish you were here
Overview
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.

Search YouTube for the trailer

Free in the UK
  • BBC iPlayer
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • warmstrength 3 of 3
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • satiricalstrength 2 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • identity
  • race
  • class
  • gender
  • sexuality
Places
  • big city
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • documentary
  • true story
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language strong
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror1
Humour5
Realism10
Romance2
Tension4
Darkness6
Complexity6
Emotional weight8

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Where to watch in the UK

Free
  • BBC iPlayer

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
documentary, history
Directed by
Jennie Livingston
Starring
Pepper LaBeija, Octavia St. Laurent, Venus Xtravaganza, Dorian Corey, Willi Ninja, Paris Dupree, Freddie Pendavis, Sol Williams Pendavis
Cinematography
Paul Gibson
Runtime
78 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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