Paris is burning

Paris Is Burning gives authentic access to the New York drag scene in the 90’s.  Given the climate around the LGBT+ world at the time I was fascinated to see how open the members of the drag community were and didn't shy away from the camera. 

The documentary was designed to explore the state of the LGBT+ community at the time and how “houses”  in New York represent a safe haven for those with gender dysphoria and other issues. 

“Mothers” of the houses are seen as stars in the community so producers wanted to put an emphasis on the big personality each of them had. The director would interview subjects, but during an active event, would usually let the chaos unfold in the name of accuracy. This is evident when a fight almost breaks out in the middle of the film. 

The famous “Balls” were handled perfectly as it stressed the level of competition between houses. Runway scenes of Queens walking down the isle show talent as they use a Dutch angle that moves around at times to emphasize the sassiness and swagger of the Queens. 

The films emphasis on competition shows that queens aren’t just being expressive. This isn’t just a documentary on Queens as a whole. It’s also a take into the very real world of poverty and loneliness throughout the LGBT+ community and how the Drag community offers comfort. The reason that queens are shown to be competitive is because drag competition is an extension of the drag community as a whole. The documentary could have been about the homophobia in New York City or Queens insecurities around gender dysphoria. Instead it celebrates Completion as an escape, displaying many deep characters and engaging viewers with the characters beyond thier sexuality. We get to learn who these people are as human, something that they didn’t get a lot of especially in the early 90s

Releasing the film in black in white was deliberate. Many minorities are in the community but the films lack of color, is a representation of how I’m this community, these people who often have troubled pasts are just like everyone else. Color could distract an audience given the lavish shades on some of the dresses, since the film is black and white we focus on the message instead of getting led away. The Black and White is a representation of comfort in a non judgmental environment.  

The film feels authentic and not just because it’s a documentary. Queens didn’t shy away from being themselves. Uncomfortable topics are brought up throughout the documentary like racism, yet Queens were willing to discuss these issues that cut deep.