Hot docs: Paris Is Burning (2K Restoration)

“Paris Is Burning still provides a vision of vibrant resistance—a fierce proclamation that queer and trans lives matter, now as they did then.” - Michelle Parkerson for the Criterion Collection

In this landmark documentary, director Jennie Livingstone captures a vibrant snapshot of New York City’s African American and Latinx drag ball scene in 1980s Harlem. Made over seven years, Paris Is Burning is a rich portrait of rival houses in fierce competition for trophies, and intimate moments of house mothers offering support and community in a time rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS and poverty.

Restored in opulent 2K, Paris Is Burning is essential viewing and a beacon that remains prevalent in a world in which 2SLGBTQI+ rights are continually under threat.

‍