Paris Is Burning

A look at the subculture of gay Harlem, which features drag balls, where gay blacks and hispanics, representing various "houses," compete for trophies. The film details the lives of flamboyant characters with names like Pepper LeBeija, Willie Ninja and Venus Xtravaganza, who live to strut their stuff on-stage at these Balls--part social club, part fashion show. But "Paris is Burning" is also a portrait of an alternative community with surprisingly conventional desires for stability, security and self-validation.