5. Paris is Burning (1990)

What? — To the drag ball contestants in the landmark documentary Paris is Burning, sexual, gender, racial and class identities are nothing more than intricately silly social constructions that are screaming for a drag-worthy rendition with the ultimate aim of winning the approval of the judges and the trophy. Paris is Burning is a finger-snapping and hip-swaying exploration of a group of black and Hispanic New Yorkers who've created their own colorful, uplifting "ball scene" subculture with its own style, rituals, vocabulary, attitude and organizational structure.

The film celebrates this group's ingenuity in rising above their expected social roles by showcasing the wit, high energy and idiosyncrasies of each player. Outlandish contestants like Venus Xtravaganza and Pepper LeBeija, representing different 'houses', compete in categories such as "Military," "Town and Country" and "Executive Realness (Wall Street)." The latter consists in pulling off a seamless performance of what the businessman character entails, always keeping in mind that the aim is to "blend" or "infiltrate" and project the much sought-after impression of "realness."

The film shifts between footage of the drag balls and interviews with many of the scene's key figures that humorously highlight some the subculture's unique features but also lay bare the hapless hand God dealt them. There's never a dull moment in these divas' lives, and the film succeeds in linking the balls to their motivation for overcoming the many societal obstacles that have impeded their smooth sailing. On top of it all, we relate to them as sensitive beings hoping to one day achieve financial stability and security.

Among the larger-than-life characters who grace Paris is Burning with their fabulous presence is Willi Ninja, a 6-foot-3-inch dancer who became known as the Godfather of Vogue in the aftermath of the film's success. Ninja, who provided the inspiration for Madonna's "Vogue" music video, founded his own modeling agency and taught celebrities like Paris Hilton to pose for paparazzi, passed away in September due to AIDS-related illnesses.

Why? — Sundance, Berlin, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and the National Society of Film Critics all succumbed to Paris' inventive and compelling cast in drag, with the film snagging almost every available documentary prize … except for the Oscars, which shunned the film from even being nominated. There was much talk of homophobia and racism amongst the Academy voters as having been responsible for this glaring omission. Regardless of which statuettes now decorate Livingston's mantelpiece, the film has aged well and to date remains one of the most commercially successful documentaries to be released.

After being exposed to voguing at Washington Square Park as a student and subsequently attending a few drag balls, Livingston became intrigued by the radical political standpoints at the core of the movement. Seeing how the participants who strut their stuff at these underground balls are proud holders of a triple minority status — they are all poor queers of color — these balls give them an outlet of expression and an opportunity to transcend the daily discrimination they undergo. Reading the film from queer theory vantage point, one cannot disassociate their gender performance from their social status; the only way for them to attain their dreams is to emulate whiteness. The balls become a way for them to exist.

A moderate amount of controversy was raised after the film's release, and it had to do with what Livingston described as her disappointment that gay organizations hadn't been more generous in funding her film. She argued that unlike documentaries about "nice white guys" (see Almost Made the Cut below), black and Latino drag queens mastering the art of voguing didn't "meet their criteria," that is, fit into the segment of gay society these gay groups were ready to back. Adam Mattera included it in his top five, calling it a "wildly entertaining documentary detailing the life or death seriousness of the late '80s NYC vogue scene."

Almost Made the Cut: The Times of Harvey Milk (Rob Epstein, 1984)

Unlike Livingston, Epstein didn't have to expend much energy persuading gay funding boards of his documentary's artistic merit. That doesn't in any way take away from the film's potency. An inspiring and revolutionary gay public figure in American politics — San Francisco's first openly gay elected politician and self-styled "Mayor of Castro Street" — Harvey Milk's governmental ascent came to an abrupt and tragic halt when he was murdered. Although too conventional in its approach, Times remains a moving, inquisitive take on how an ardent and charismatic man became a gay martyr.

Next - Brokeback Mountain

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