Paris Is Burning

"Having a ball… Wish you were here"

1991 1h 18m EN

🙌

8.0

BANGER

★8.0TMDB · 571

DocumentaryHistory

Synopsis

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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.

“Having a ball… Wish you were here”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Pepper LaBeija
Self
Octavia St. Laurent
Self
Venus Xtravaganza
Self
Dorian Corey
Self
Willi Ninja
Self
Paris Dupree
Self
Freddie Pendavis
Self
Sol Williams Pendavis
Self

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jennie Livingston
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $0.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 7.8× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

35 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jennie Livingston, shot by Paul Gibson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jonathan Oppenheim shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Pepper LaBeija and Octavia St. Laurent and Venus Xtravaganza carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Having a ball… Wish you were here".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jennie Livingston directs. Paul Gibson behind the camera. Jonathan Oppenheim cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 78-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
2Shot for just $0.5M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
3Made its money back 7.8× over at the box office.
435 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
5Directed by Jennie Livingston, shot by Paul Gibson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Jonathan Oppenheim shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Pepper LaBeija and Octavia St. Laurent and Venus Xtravaganza carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Having a ball… Wish you were here".
9IMDB entry: tt0100332 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 17 themes, including "new york city", "transvestism", "aids", "homophobia".

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Gibson
Editing: Jonathan Oppenheim
Runtime: 78 min · 1h 18m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $500,000
Box office: $3,906,006
Return: 781% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): R
IMDB: Paris Is Burning (1991)

Awards

Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

Jennie Livingston

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Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2025-05-08
★ 7/10
Set over a seven year period, this follows not just the evolution of a group of 1980s New York African-American and Latino drag artists, but it also shines quite a light on changing societal attitudes as these lively, strong and characterful folk try to assert their own identity amidst a city not always accepting or willing. It’s all about balls - literally and metaphorically, and showcases a community determined not to be ground down by using their exuberant fashions, dancing, extroversion, competitive spirit and overwhelming sense of community to provide each other with strength and inspiration. They are all from a working class background, but again are bent on using their wits to start businesses, to travel the world, to achieve stardom and to prove their worth to themselves and their frequently hostile and/or bamboozled neighbours. As you’d expect, there’s a lively soundtrack that epitomises the spunkiness of these people, there’s a flamboyance and there is also a vulnerability - rather tragically illustrated towards the end that shows us that being different, proud and “out” is not necessarily the same as being safe and respected. The contributors are passionate, erudite and engaging and though the timeframe offers us a degree of hope that lasting change is coming, slowly - it also reminds us that that change is neither consistent nor guaranteed. At times a little repetitive, maybe one too many catwalks, but it’s still a fascinating insight into an urban sub-culture set upon flourishing.

Production companies