In the midst of the AIDS crisis and a culture war with puritan Republicans, queer artists turned to cinema to express their dissatisfaction. The 1990s were a crucial period for queer cinema in America. It introduced viewers to the colorful world of vogueing and inspired crucial cultural moments like Madonna's Vogue music video, directed by David Fincher, and the wildly popular RuPaul's Drag Race. The legacy and impact of Paris Is Burning lives on 30 years later. The many characters in the film share their personal struggles with poverty, gender identity and sexuality, which in turn allowed for viewers to empathize with queer people of color. Directed by Jenny Livingstone, the documentary follows some icons of New York's underground ball scene like Pepper LaBeija, Willi Ninja, and Angie Xtravaganza among others. One of the most quoted queer documentaries in history, this 1990 film even changed the way we speak when it introduced a plethora of Black and Latino queer slang to mainstream audiences, many of which are part of common parlance today. If Pink Flamingos showed the mainstream the edgy and subversive side of queerness, Paris Is Burning showed its playful and glamorous side. Off-White Productions / Prestige Pictures
