PARIS IS BURNING

Documentary Film

Analysis Worksheet

Name: Hannah Diver

Step 1. Pre-viewing (Do not worry if you have already viewed the documentary; answer the questions to the best of your ability.)

Title of Documentary:

Paris is Burning

Date Released: August 1991

Principle documentary maker(s):

Jennie Livingston

Why did you select this particular documentary for this assignment?

I had noticed the documentary when researching the modes of documentary and it striked me as different to others because the subject matter would have been sensitive at the time of release.

What do you think you will see in this documentary? List three concepts or ideas that you might expect to see based on the title of the documentary or list what you already know about this documentary:

1. The lives of the drag queens outside of the parties and showing their personal lives and professions

2. Both popular and unpopular opinions of drag queens and the public

3. I am expecting to see what it takes to be a drag queen and how they live, knowing that they are different to others (another persona) and how do they cope with backlash of people who don’t agree.

Step 2. Viewing

Type of documentary (check where applicable):

__________ Advocacy for social concerns

_____x_____ Biography

_____x_____ Career Profile

_____x_____ Community History

_____x_____ Research/Factual

__________  “How To”

__________ Training/Orientation

_____x_____ Investigative

__________ News/Special Events

___________Skits & Spoofs

__________ Travel/tourism

__________  Nature

Physical qualities of the film: Describe all that apply.

Music

There is the use of popular music used in the 90’s - links to pop culture

In the sorrowful moments, there is slower music used. because of the nature of the programme and the subject, the music is loud and of the dance genre

Live action

All the footage is live action, it follows the lives of the drag queens  and what goes on in the drag balls they go too, talking of voguing and the competitive element that can turn people against friends. They take this very seriously. The interviews are reflexive since they talk to the camera but no filmmakers are visible. People are aware this is a documentary and not  a film, because of the direct interviews.

Narration/voice Over:

There is no voice over from the filmmakers, but there is the overlapping of interviews and raw footage, so there is no input from the creators.

Background noise/Special effects:

There is no sfx as far as I can tell, the whole documentary is made up of live footage. Because of raw footage, there will be the wild track from the streets and the chatter and uproar from the groups can be heard underneath music and the interviews.

Animation:

There is no animation since the documentary is live action and investigative of the drag queen’s lives, they are trying to transfer hard facts through real footage, which can be harder to manipulate than with animation.

Color/Black and white:

Since drag queens are flamboyant, that flamboyance is transferred through the film  and exaggerates the fashion.

Interviews (Who did the filmmaker interview and for what purpose?):

The filmmaker interviewed heads of the clubs, that had influence above others, it meant any competition between houses was able to be revealed. they also interviewed younger people, someone who was only 13, which shows that it is a lifestyle and it can develop over time from a young boy to a drag queen. it also would have shocked people to see that someone so young could be affected by something people used to call a ‘disease’ . There was also interviews from different kinds of drag queens, including one that would alternate between two lives and another that lived as a girl and had gone through a sex change (she was ultimately strangled to death)

Dramatizations or reenactments

There was no dramatizations since it was showing something that was happening in the here and now, soon to develop into the future. There would have been reenactments if they were documenting a crime or murder or another subject of the past.

Note how camera angles, lighting, music, narration, and/or editing contribute to creating an atmosphere in this documentary.

They used shaky shots at times since it is set partly in a party scene. The schots also rotated and zoomed in and out rapidly to match the music or highlight the fashion someone was wearing. it would make you dizzy representing the energetic atmosphere surrounding the drag queens. The shots were static with the interviews since the interviewees were seated and were talking and giving information, rather than showing it.

What is the mood or tone of the documentary?  What emotions does the documentary evoke in its viewers?

Some of the attitudes of the drag queens gave humour to the documentary, as would be expected when people had such rebelling personas. By following specific individuals, the audience had the ability to grow attached to certain people and towards the end, when one individual ended up dead, the audience would feel sympathy at something so out of the blue, especially when that same person had talked about their ambitions earlier in the film.

Step 3. Post-viewing (or repeated viewing)

Circle the things that you listed in the previewing activity that were validated by your viewing of the documentary, then answer the following:   

What is/are the central message(s) of this documentary?  Be specific. Use examples from the documentary to support your choice.

Livingston stated that it shows that gender is a construction, which is created by exposure to certain behaviour, highlighted in the drag ball competitions that judge them on how ‘real’ they can become.

Discuss the bias in the documentary (point of view of the filmmakers).   

The filmmaker is more biased towards the drag queens whilst highlighting the the homophobia, racism directed at them, it exposes an influential subculture that would otherwise be hidden. They focus on asking what the African-American and Hispanic men do when involved in the ball, rather than asking the public’s  opinion to support a view.

Consider the effectiveness of the film in communicating its message. As a tool of communication, what are its strengths and weaknesses?

By connecting the audience with the men involved, you already gain more emotions from the audience, compared to seeing and hearing the filmmaker - disconnecting the audience with the drag queens.  By using familiar dance music, the audience can already connect through that, even though their lives are the opposite.By showing the individuals shopping for dresses, the message that gender is a construction, can be displayed, since they are shown to be regularly partaking in an activity of the opposite gender’s behaviour.

Though there should be more examples of home life, to show more individuals partaking in this similar behaviour.

How do you think the filmmakers wanted the audience to respond? What evidence is there that the filmmaker was looking for this response?

The filmmaker used pop culture and used the individuals that were a as close as a family, to make the effects of racism and homophobia more harrowing. They also found relatable people, who wanted to be rich to draw much like the generic of New York at the time of poverty. They probably wanted viewers to start a change which could drastically alter the future of the drag balls.

Does this film appeal to the viewer's reason or emotion? Explain the role of each in this documentary.  

This documentary should appeal to the audience's reason since most people have good morals, that should tell them that the drag queens and drag balls shouldn't receive so much backlash and hate, especially when you haven't lived their lives. No one should have to face such harsh criticism, whilst trying to follow an achievable ambition.

It is important to connect to the audience's emotion because with the documentary because it means they are more likely to be accepting if they have an emotional connection and with this documentary, it can be shown to family members by the men involved and those similar and it would serve as a good introduction of their lifestyle. The interviews are both humorous at times and honest.

How does it make you feel?

It makes me feel ashamed at how much the public dismissed such strong characters from their society, when they can bring exciting flares and they fight for what they strongly believe in.

Though I also feel respect, because the drag balls are a space where gay and transgender African-American and Hispanic men, can feel safe and and they have worked to enable a safe space, they try not to let the negatives of life he them down too much, they take it in the stride and flawlessly throw it back in the faces of the offenders who are disrespectful.

Write a question to the filmmaker that is left unanswered by his/her documentary. Do you believe the question was left unanswered purposefully?  Why or why not?

Did the quality of life for the drag queens and those attending the drag balls improve at all after their hardships and ambitions were exposed/investigated?

The question was left unanswered because we never see any footage from after the release of the documentary, but since the subject matter is still occurring and isn't a single occurrence, people can research for themselves and find out. It encourages people to get involved in the community whether they are drag queens or supporters, so  would say this was done purposefully.