A documentary or a cultural awakening?
Just as the AIDS epidemic was taking the world by storm, ‘Paris is Burning’ came out and burned out a misguided perception of queer and trans culture to the ground.
Jennie Livingston’s ground-breaking and controversial 1991 documentary- ‘Paris is Burning’ is a vibrant time capsule of New York City’s ballroom subculture in the mid-80s. It is a rich celebration of drag culture and its black roots in Harlem. Though, at the same time, the documentary doesn’t shy away from darkness and confronts us with the harsh truths about the difficulties faced by queer and trans people at that time.
The documentary follows Harlem Drag legends such as Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Willi Ninja as they compete in Harlem drag balls, dream of fame and struggle as queer people of colour in the underbelly of New York City. We see Queens of all genders walk the runway showing off their beauty, impeccable outfits, makeup, modelling, and dance abilities. Through the lens, we witness their defiant joy and pride, which is as infectious today, as it was in the 90s.
‘Paris is Burning’ is one of the most culturally and socially important and beautiful documentaries of the 1990s; and in a world of hate and conservative narratives, it provides a beacon of bright hope, and proudly proclaims a lout and rainbow-hued message, that- queer and trans lives matter, now more than ever.
Before the dual clouds of AIDS and gentrification changed both the ballroom and New York City forever, ‘Paris is Burning’ immortalized a very specific time and place, which gave us a chance to glimpse at a culture we may never have otherwise witnessed. With its beautiful and life-affirming creativity, ‘Paris is Burning’ demonstrates the resilience of marginalized people. It lives on in our hearts in lasting infamy and, forever as a rallying cry.
When I watched ‘Paris is Burning’ for the very first time, I was in awe of the creativity, colour, defiance, and raw joy buzzing throughout the documentary. It instilled in me a sense of hope and showed me the importance of facing our pain and turning it into something beautiful. Even now, whenever I’m binge-watching an episode of RuPaul’s Drag race or listening to Madonna’s ‘Vogue’, I am still filled with gratitude and amazement at what these performers were able to achieve. ‘Paris is Burning’ was a documentary ahead of its time and I will forever hear LaBeija saying “It do take nerve” whenever I’m conflicted about doing what is right.
Paris is still Burning, and I hope everyone who reads this will help it continue to do so.