User Score
2 votes
Trans people were at the forefront of the 1969 uprising at Greenwich Village’s Stonewall Inn, but their stories have not always been central in film representations of LGBT life in the city. T.V. Transvestite captures a fierce House of LaBeija Ball thrown at a Harlem Bingo Hall. Considered “lost” and not screened in public for over two decades, the film shows legends Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Sugar in the period before voguing and the advent of AIDS. A stirring example of how queer focused and produced film has long flourished in NYC.
Director
Director
Status
Released
Original Language
EN
Himself
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.
