Documentary exploring the New York drag scene in the 1980s. Competition is fierce for those vying for trophies in the underground ball culture, where attendees (representing rival "houses") pose, vogue and walk their way towards a judges' table in numerous drag categories. It's a scene that draws together marginalised members of the gay and transgender communities and gives rise to legendary figures such as Pepper LaBeija and Angie Xtravaganza.
This brilliantly entertaining documentary peeks into the New York subculture of drag queens and transsexuals centred around "The Ball", a regular event that's part competition, part performance art and part ritual during which members of various clubs vie for trophies. Director Jennie Livingston's acerbic look at gay society's fringe-dwellers is a rapturous mixture of high spirits (the vogueing dance craze started in its hallowed Harlem venue), camp (the legendary Pepper Labeija living out an outlandish parody of a Hollywood star's life) and pathos (long-time pro Dorian Corey ashamed that the upcoming she-males don't even know who Marlene Dietrich is). Livingston provides an eye-opening, moving and revealing ode to desperate self re-invention, achieved through the tarnished glamour of an extended disco family.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Carmen | Carmen |
| Brooke | Brooke |
| Dorian Corey | Dorian Corey |
| Paris Dupree | Paris Dupree |
| Pepper Labeija | Pepper Labeija |
| Junior Labeija | Junior Labeija |
| Willi Ninja | Willi Ninja |
| Sandy Ninja | Sandy Ninja |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | Jennie Livingston |
