Coming to theatres tomorrow, Friday, March 3:
BURLESQUE: HEART OF THE GLITTER TRIBE
Director:
Jon Manning
Premiere:
limited theatrical engagements (February 2017)
About:
A survey of the neo-burlesque scene in Portland OR.
After a long fallow period, burlesque, the once-popular if risqué entertainment known for its focus on the striptease, experienced a revival beginning in the mid-1990s that has continued into the present day, with its presence felt in most larger American cities as well as internationally. Manning focuses his profile on several performers in Portland – among them Zora von Pavonine, Babs Jamboree, Angelique DeVil, Isaiah Esquire, and the Stagedoor Johnnies – none household names like Dita von Teese, but that’s largely the point in this scrappy if conventional doc. These showgirls and showboys appreciate the local spotlight, but they perform for the love of burlesque – as more than one points out, they typically lose money practicing their craft, but they enjoy themselves while doing it. While breaking no new ground, addressing topics familiar from past burlesque-focused docs, and suffering from attempting to cover too many subjects, Manning’s film nevertheless offers a welcome, empowering message of self-acceptance, sex- and body-positivity, and the impact of being part of an intentional community.
what (not) to doc 