Principal cast
Pepper LaBeija, Octavia St. Laurent, Venus Xtravaganza, Dorian Corey and Willi Ninja
Film 278 of 498 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 278 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 โFull cast
Full cast
- Pepper LaBeijaCharacter: Self
- Octavia St. LaurentCharacter: Self
- Venus XtravaganzaCharacter: Self
- Dorian CoreyCharacter: Self
- Willi NinjaCharacter: Self
- Paris DupreeCharacter: Self
- Freddie PendavisCharacter: Self
- Sol Williams PendavisCharacter: Self
- Junior LaBeijaCharacter: Self
- Angie XtravaganzaCharacter: Self
- Carmen XtravaganzaCharacter: Self
- Brooke XtravaganzaCharacter: Self
Full crew
Full crew
- Jennie LivingstonCredits: Producer, Director, Still Photographer
- Natalie G. HillCredits: Production Manager
- Jonathan OppenheimCredits: Editor
- Barry SwimarCredits: Producer
- Lynn GellerCredits: Music
- Paul GibsonCredits: Director of Photography
- Sam HenriquesCredits: Additional Camera
- Stacia ThompsonCredits: Sound Editor
- Madison Davis LacyCredits: Executive Producer
- Meg McLaganCredits: Associate Producer
- Nigel FinchCredits: Executive Producer
- Anne DutlingerCredits: Graphic Designer
- Claire GoodmanCredits: Associate Producer
- Pawel WdowczakCredits: Sound
- Judy KarpCredits: Sound Recordist
- Matt SkiltonCredits: Sound Mixer
- Catherine CalderonCredits: Sound Recordist
- Jim RogulaCredits: Graphic Designer
- Rick DiorCredits: Sound Mixer
- Maryse AlbertiCredits: Second Assistant Camera
- Bill MegalosCredits: Additional Camera
- Frank PrinziCredits: Additional Camera
- Alyson DennyCredits: Additional Camera
- Ben SpethCredits: Additional Camera
- Kate DavisCredits: Additional Editing
- Carol HillsonCredits: Associate Editor
- Elise PettusCredits: Production Coordinator
- Richard DooleyCredits: Associate Producer
- Elizabeth BouissCredits: Assistant Editor
- Nancy CrumleyCredits: Assistant Editor
- Melissa HackerCredits: Assistant Editor
- Spike LamprosCredits: Assistant Editor
- Jacinta OrlandoCredits: Assistant Editor
- Michael Bon VillainCredits: Assistant Camera
- Theo CrimonaCredits: Assistant Camera
- Lloyd GoldfineCredits: Assistant Camera
- Rosalinda AlviraCredits: Production Assistant
- Nicole BarnumCredits: Production Assistant
- Sara BlecherCredits: Production Assistant
- Jane BresnickCredits: Production Assistant
- Penny DowCredits: Production Assistant
- Jan HeissingerCredits: Production Assistant
- David IrreraCredits: Production Assistant
- Karen KandrakCredits: Production Assistant
- Bengt MattsonCredits: Production Assistant
- Tracy MorganCredits: Production Assistant
- Myra PaciCredits: Production Assistant
- Sydney PokorneyCredits: Production Assistant
- Eric RosenblattCredits: Production Assistant
- Carolina SalgueroCredits: Production Assistant
- Kevin SkvorakCredits: Production Assistant
- Phoebe YantsisCredits: Production Assistant
- Dorian CoreyCredits: Still Photographer
- Hector CrespoCredits: Still Photographer
- Josef AstorCredits: Still Photographer
- Harry BirckmayerCredits: Production Assistant
Film data and images provided by TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.