Paris is Burning

This is the first of several documentaries I've been watching, so be prepared for several more in the future.

Essentially, at it's core, Paris is Burning is about the gay male culture of the mid to late 1980's. So many of them ran away because of their families and they found each other.

The main story is that of the ball culture. All- or most- of those interviewed took part in balls where they dressed in various categories such as town & country, business, college, realness (at passing as a woman), and more. Many of the participants live in "houses." I'd already heard of the House of Ninja thanks to Benny Ninja (current father) thanks to America's Next Top Model (ANTM).

It's such a different culture in a way. And it really is a culture all it's own. I think that's really what I enjoyed most about this movie. I loved learning about what it was like then, the culture, a little more on what houses are, and the like. I liked seeing the early days of vogueing.

It is hard to watch the stories. It's sad to know so many of them had to run away because of the times and that it was barely 30 years ago. Times are definitely changing for the better.