Paris is Burning: 30 Years Later
Paris is Burning elevated drag and ballroom into the public consciousness and permanently impacted LGBT culture. However, the performers featured in the documentary didn't reap the rewards of their visibility.

Adolescents from Northern and Francophone Africa leave their tiny villages, temporarily or for good, and land on French territory. Called 'suitcase children,' they are thrown into often unstable families. They are still minors, and the French educational system is required to accept them -- even if they're in the country illegally. They must be brought up to speed before being integrated into general or specific areas of study. This is a year where they must find their bearings, adapt to French culture and determine what their future will be.
Paris is Burning elevated drag and ballroom into the public consciousness and permanently impacted LGBT culture. However, the performers featured in the documentary didn't reap the rewards of their visibility.
The differences in these films could not be more blatant, and yet Gus Van Sant has found a way to portray the same messages and use the same techniques in each.
At its heart, it’s a fond tribute to an influential artist and thus one that can speak to everyone’s inner artist, even if it lacks the sincere commentary you may wish to see.