“Paris is Burning” will be re-released in theaters in time for Pride month.
The 1990 cult documentary followed the Latinx and African American underground ballroom scene in New York City during the 1980s. It brought ball stars Willi Ninja, Pepper, LaBeija, Octavia St. Laurent and Venus Xtravaganza into the spotlight chronicling their joys and hardships.
It became the foundation for shows such as “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and FX’s “Pose,” which is heavily inspired by the documentary. The film was added to the National Film Registry in 2016 for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Director Jennie Livingston has given the film a digital restoration to be released for a two-week run in New York City starting June 14 followed by a nationwide theatrical release.
