Principal cast
Pepper LaBeija, Octavia St. Laurent, Venus Xtravaganza, Dorian Corey and Willi Ninja
Film 279 of 307 on the Screen Path
Paris Is Burning
Having a ballโฆ Wish you were here
About the film
Paris Is Burning at a glance.
Screen Path places this 1990 film at stop 279 in one curated journey through cinema. The learning experience adds context before you watch and deeper analysis after.
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 โ including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.
Key craft credits
Paul Gibson (director of photography) and Jonathan Oppenheim (editor)
- Director
- Jennie Livingston
- Release
- 1991-03-13
- Runtime
- 78 minutes
- Genres
- Documentary and History
- Country
- United States
- Quiz
- 50 questions
The Screen Path journey
Before. After. Remember.
The featured film is watched outside Screen Path. The app provides the learning experience around it: a guide, an analysis, and a quiz with explanations.
01
Before you watch
Start with a spoiler-free video guide to the context and filmmaking choices worth noticing.
Spoiler-free02
After the film
Return after watching for a deeper video analysis of craft, meaning, and legacy.
Contains spoilers03
Quiz yourself
Answer 50 questions with clear rationales designed to make the ideas stick.
50 questions in this journeyCitizen Kane is the complete public example: both learning videos and a five-question sample quiz are available below.
Start the example โFilm data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.