Open Air | Paris Is Burning (Sold out)
Ground-breaking documentary about the New York drag ball subculture. African American and Latino homosexuals and transgenders united in ‘houses’ in the 1980s and challenged each other on the catwalk and the dance floor.
In PARIS IS BURNING, Jennie Livingston searches the Lower Manhattan wharves and nightclubs for New York’s best vogue dancer. Released five years after the AIDS-related death of Rock Hudson, the documentary is a response to the US government’s slow reaction to the AIDS epidemic, which contributed to an estimated one million AIDS cases by the end of 1990. The documentary gave a voice to the LGBTQ+ community in New York. Livingston follows well-known vogue dancers, drag queens and trans women, including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey and Venus Xtravaganza.
Livingston shows how difficult life is for people who want to escape prevailing social, cultural, and sexual (gender) patterns. Her documentary is about people surviving on the fringes of society; about the freedom to be who you are or aspire to be.
PARIS IS BURNING was released in 1990 and has since achieved the status of a modern classic. The film was included in British film magazine Sight & Sound’s leading list of best films of all time. (mv)
This documentary is screened with English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing.
Programme:
19.30hrs—Registration for workshops (please note: first come, first served)
20.00hrs—Workshop begins (language: English)
21.05hrs—Welcome & short interview
21.10hrs—Vogue showcase
21.15hrs—Start of PARIS IS BURNING
Workshop & showcase: Vogue
Let’s vogue! Voguing is more than just dancing; this cultural phenomenon embodies self-expression, creativity, and the celebration of individuality. Prior to the screening of PARIS IS BURNING, Eindhoven Ballroom (last year's winner of the Cultural Award in Eindhoven) will host a Voguing workshop on the festival grounds. Lenka, Angelo, Sary, and Ida will guide you through the three performance styles: Old Way, New Way, and Vogue Femme. The workshop starts at 20:00, with registration available from 19:30 at the festival grounds (first come, first served).
(language: Dutch)
Prefer to keep your feet on the ground? No problem! Just before the documentary begins, Eindhoven Ballroom will also provide a brief showcase.