Paris Is Burning

Okay first things first. THIS WAS NOT WHAT I WAS EXPECTING. "Paris Is Burning" It sounds like a Antoine Fuqua film. It is a documentary about the ball culture of New York City and the African-American Latino, gay and transgender communities involved in the mid-to-late 1980's. In these ball competitions, contestants must "walk","Vouge" and are judged based by criteria involving the "realness" of their drag, the beauty of their clothing and their dancing skills and abilities.

Relating to our topic of Utopia the Paris is burning movement is like a world within a world that is genuinly familiar to the real world, filled with ambitions, desires and yearnings that reflect America itself. Paris is burning  is an intimate portrait of one urban community, a world in which the allure of high fashion, status and wealth becomes an affirmation of love, acceptance and joy.

The film switches between balls and interviews of members of the scene including Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, Angie Xtraveganza, and Will Ninja. All of these house and ball contestants are known for their consistency in winning walks, eventually earning the name "Legendary" as their status.

After watching this film it opened my mind up a lot more that Utopia does not have to be filled with clouds and rainbows. Someones heaven could simply wanting to become accepted by society or feel like they belong somewhere, a place where they can be themselves and not be judged for who they are, what they look like or what they have in between their legs.

The film explores how its subjects dealt with everyday racism, homophobia, AIDS and poverty. Venus Xtravaganza (Left) In the documentary she did explain how she'd meet up with guys and they'd just go and have a good night together, no sex what so ever...only sometimes, occasionally. She also explains that she had a really close friend  who comes and spends time with her and at the end of the day gives her money for her needs or luxuries.

According to her house mother Angie Xtravaganza, Venus was found strangled under a bed in a New York hotel room in 1988. Her body was discovered by a stranger four days after her death. Her killer has never been found.