Shopping Cart: $0.00 (0 items)
Paris Is Burning
- Directed by: Jennie Livingston
- Starring: Dorian Corey, Willi Ninja, Pepper Labeija, Venus Xtravaganza, Octavia St. Laurent, Anji Xtravaganza, Freddie Pendavis, Junior Labeija
- Genre: Education/General Interest
-
Rating:
- Theater Release: 08/09/1991
- Video Release: 09/06/2005
- Run Time: 1hr 11min
Synopsis
An unblinking, behind-the-scenes story of the young men of Harlem who originated "voguing" and turned these stylized dance competitions into a glittering expression of fierce personal pride.
An unblinking, behind-the-scenes story of the young men of Harlem who originated "voguing" and turned these stylized dance competitions into a glittering expression of fierce personal pride.
Production Notes
Appearing in the film were:
Andre Christian; Dorian Corey; Paris Dupree; Pepper Labeija;
Junior Labeija; Willi Ninja; Sandy Ninja; Freddie Pendavis;
Sol Pendavis; Avis Pendavis; Octavia Saint Laurent; Stevie Saint Laurent; Angie Xtravaganza; Bianca Xtravaganza; Brooke Xtravaganza; Carmen Xtravaganza; Danny Xtravaganza; David Xtravaganza; David Ian Xtravaganza; David the Father Xtravaganza; Venus Xtravaganza
And all of the legendary children and upcoming legends.
Funding provided by:
The National Endowment for the Arts; Jerome Foundation; New York State Council on the Arts; New York Foundation for the Arts; Paul Robeson Fund; Edelman Fund; Art Matters Inc.; BBC Television
Film was "In Memory of David Baer, Kevin Sutton, Lee Marks, and Richard Roland Livingston."
Venus Xtravaganza was murdered not long after production ended in 1989.
Dorian Corey, 56, died of AIDS on August 29, 1993. In a "New York Times" interview, he explained why he did the film, saying, "I didn't do it for the money. I did it for fun. Always have. You see I was in show business for years, so when my 15 minutes finally came up, it was gravy." In addition to performing regularly, Corey had his own clothing design business.
In the film, Corey said, "Everybody wants to leave something behind them, some impression, some mark upon the world. And then you think, you've left a mark on the world if you just get through it and a few people remember your name. Then you've left a mark. You don't have to bend the world. I think it's better just to enjoy it. Pay your dues and enjoy it. If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high, hooray for you."
Pop icon Madonna launched voguing as a brief dance trend in 1990 with her hit record, "Vogue."
Feature-film debut for director Jennie Livingston.
Named Best Documentary of 1990 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Named Best Documentary of 1991 by the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Society of Film Critics, and the Boston Society of Film Critics. Received the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival.
Livingston received the Open Palm Award from the first Independent Feature Project Gotham Awards in 1991. The prize consists of $10,000 worth of donated services from General Camera and TVC Labs to be used on her next project.
Video version runs 76 minutes, while the theatrical version runs 71 minutes. Video features an epilogue that tells what has happened to some of the subjects after production stopped. A 58-minute version was screened at a New York City festival in 1990.
Definitely not to be confused with "Is Paris Burning?", the 1966 French-American co-production about the liberation of France in World War II. Film starred Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Dauphin, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, and Orson Welles. "Is Paris Burning?" was written by Gore Vidal and Francis Ford Coppola from the Larry Collins-Dominique Lapierre book and was directed by Rene Clemens.
Title is taken from one of the larger drag balls, also titled "Paris Is Burning" and hosted by Paris Dupree.
Estimated budget $375,000.
Filmed in Harlem, New York City. Filming began in 1987 and was completed in 1989. Color by DuArt. Shot in 16mm. Titles by Borden Elniff and opticals by Eastern Optical EFX.
Screened at New York's New Festival of Gay and Lesbian Film (as 58-minute video), Los Angeles International Gay & Lesbian Film & Video Festival, Toronto Festival of Festivals, Margaret Mead Film Festival, Independent Feature Film Market in 1990. Screened at Sundance Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Biennial Exhibition and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, Deauville Film Festival, and Birmingham International Film & Television in 1991.
Broadcast in a shorter version over the BBC television network on the program "Arena" in the UK April, 1990.
Released in New York City at the Film Forum March 13, 1991, where it ran for a record-breaking 17 weeks. Benefit premiere in Los Angeles for AIDS Project August 7, 1991. Released in USA August 9, 1991. Released on video September 23, 1992.
In its initial theatrical release, the film had no MPAA rating. In January of 1992, it was given an "R" rating.
Reviewed in New York Times March 13, 1991, and in Los Angeles Times August 9, 1991.
Appearing in the film were:
Andre Christian; Dorian Corey; Paris Dupree; Pepper Labeija;
Junior Labeija; Willi Ninja; Sandy Ninja; Freddie Pendavis;
Sol Pendavis; Avis Pendavis; Octavia Saint Laurent; Stevie Saint Laurent; Angie Xtravaganza; Bianca Xtravaganza; Brooke Xtravaganza; Carmen Xtravaganza; Danny Xtravaganza; David Xtravaganza; David Ian Xtravaganza; David the Father Xtravaganza; Venus Xtravaganza
And all of the legendary children and upcoming legends.
Funding provided by:
The National Endowment for the Arts; Jerome Foundation; New York State Council on the Arts; New York Foundation for the Arts; Paul Robeson Fund; Edelman Fund; Art Matters Inc.; BBC Television
Film was "In Memory of David Baer, Kevin Sutton, Lee Marks, and Richard Roland Livingston."
Venus Xtravaganza was murdered not long after production ended in 1989.
Dorian Corey, 56, died of AIDS on August 29, 1993. In a "New York Times" interview, he explained why he did the film, saying, "I didn't do it for the money. I did it for fun. Always have. You see I was in show business for years, so when my 15 minutes finally came up, it was gravy." In addition to performing regularly, Corey had his own clothing design business.
In the film, Corey said, "Everybody wants to leave something behind them, some impression, some mark upon the world. And then you think, you've left a mark on the world if you just get through it and a few people remember your name. Then you've left a mark. You don't have to bend the world. I think it's better just to enjoy it. Pay your dues and enjoy it. If you shoot an arrow and it goes real high, hooray for you."
Pop icon Madonna launched voguing as a brief dance trend in 1990 with her hit record, "Vogue."
Feature-film debut for director Jennie Livingston.
Named Best Documentary of 1990 by the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Named Best Documentary of 1991 by the New York Film Critics Circle, the National Society of Film Critics, and the Boston Society of Film Critics. Received the Grand Jury Prize at the 1991 Sundance Film Festival.
Livingston received the Open Palm Award from the first Independent Feature Project Gotham Awards in 1991. The prize consists of $10,000 worth of donated services from General Camera and TVC Labs to be used on her next project.
Video version runs 76 minutes, while the theatrical version runs 71 minutes. Video features an epilogue that tells what has happened to some of the subjects after production stopped. A 58-minute version was screened at a New York City festival in 1990.
Definitely not to be confused with "Is Paris Burning?", the 1966 French-American co-production about the liberation of France in World War II. Film starred Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron, Jean-Pierre Cassel, Claude Dauphin, Alain Delon, Kirk Douglas, Glenn Ford, Yves Montand, Simone Signoret, Robert Stack, and Orson Welles. "Is Paris Burning?" was written by Gore Vidal and Francis Ford Coppola from the Larry Collins-Dominique Lapierre book and was directed by Rene Clemens.
Title is taken from one of the larger drag balls, also titled "Paris Is Burning" and hosted by Paris Dupree.
Estimated budget $375,000.
Filmed in Harlem, New York City. Filming began in 1987 and was completed in 1989. Color by DuArt. Shot in 16mm. Titles by Borden Elniff and opticals by Eastern Optical EFX.
Screened at New York's New Festival of Gay and Lesbian Film (as 58-minute video), Los Angeles International Gay & Lesbian Film & Video Festival, Toronto Festival of Festivals, Margaret Mead Film Festival, Independent Feature Film Market in 1990. Screened at Sundance Film Festival, Berlin Film Festival, Biennial Exhibition and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, Deauville Film Festival, and Birmingham International Film & Television in 1991.
Broadcast in a shorter version over the BBC television network on the program "Arena" in the UK April, 1990.
Released in New York City at the Film Forum March 13, 1991, where it ran for a record-breaking 17 weeks. Benefit premiere in Los Angeles for AIDS Project August 7, 1991. Released in USA August 9, 1991. Released on video September 23, 1992.
In its initial theatrical release, the film had no MPAA rating. In January of 1992, it was given an "R" rating.
Reviewed in New York Times March 13, 1991, and in Los Angeles Times August 9, 1991.
Reviews
"...[A] spirited and heartbreaking documentary..." (Rolling Stone)
"...Very fine....PARIS IS BURNING is more than spectacle..." (New York Times)
"...Exhilarating..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars (USA Today)
"...Absorbing, seductive....Scrupulously open and evenhanded..." (Los Angeles Times)
"...[A] spirited and heartbreaking documentary..." (Rolling Stone)
"...Very fine....PARIS IS BURNING is more than spectacle..." (New York Times)
"...Exhilarating..." -- 3 1/2 out of 4 stars (USA Today)
"...Absorbing, seductive....Scrupulously open and evenhanded..." (Los Angeles Times)
Portions of Content Provided by Rovi Corporation. © 2013 Rovi Corporation.
