“I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is Burning
The purpose of this essay is to highlight and comment on the importance of musical presence within Jennie Livingston's documentary film Paris is Burning (1990), a pivotal film of the cinematographic moment of New Queer Cinema. Despite multiple analyses, from Judith Butler in Bodies That Matters...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Bologna
2020-12-01
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| Series: | Cinergie |
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| Online Access: | https://cinergie.unibo.it/article/view/10408 |
| _version_ | 1818736808474705920 |
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| author | Costanza Rovetta |
| author_facet | Costanza Rovetta |
| author_sort | Costanza Rovetta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The purpose of this essay is to highlight and comment on the importance of musical presence within Jennie Livingston's documentary film Paris is Burning (1990), a pivotal film of the cinematographic moment of New Queer Cinema. Despite multiple analyses, from Judith Butler in Bodies That Matters (1993) to Peggy Phelan in Unmarked: The Politics of Performance (1996), there is a lack of literature regarding the narrative, performative and resilient potential of its soundtrack. The essay proposes a new methodological approach by presenting, following a brief historical framework, the audiovisual analysis of three thematic nuclei. The first object of study is the resilience of the pre-existing songs that compile the Paris Is Burning soundtrack, both for their trans-genre nature and for the high number of beats per minute that distinguishes them. Subsequently, a spatial and sound tripartition is proposed which initially diversifies the collective queer minority environments from the heteronormal, cis-gender, collective ones and afterward from the individual queer ones; also determining how Realness compare itself with urban and sound spatiality. Moreover, a new suggestion about the bequest of Paris is Burning on a cinematographic, musical and performative level has been pointed out. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T00:43:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7542a079468046108a0ccbaedfba0dd1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2280-9481 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T00:43:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-12-01 |
| publisher | University of Bologna |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Cinergie |
| spelling | doaj.art-7542a079468046108a0ccbaedfba0dd12022-12-21T21:26:50ZengUniversity of BolognaCinergie2280-94812020-12-011819320710.6092/issn.2280-9481/104088861“I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is BurningCostanza RovettaThe purpose of this essay is to highlight and comment on the importance of musical presence within Jennie Livingston's documentary film Paris is Burning (1990), a pivotal film of the cinematographic moment of New Queer Cinema. Despite multiple analyses, from Judith Butler in Bodies That Matters (1993) to Peggy Phelan in Unmarked: The Politics of Performance (1996), there is a lack of literature regarding the narrative, performative and resilient potential of its soundtrack. The essay proposes a new methodological approach by presenting, following a brief historical framework, the audiovisual analysis of three thematic nuclei. The first object of study is the resilience of the pre-existing songs that compile the Paris Is Burning soundtrack, both for their trans-genre nature and for the high number of beats per minute that distinguishes them. Subsequently, a spatial and sound tripartition is proposed which initially diversifies the collective queer minority environments from the heteronormal, cis-gender, collective ones and afterward from the individual queer ones; also determining how Realness compare itself with urban and sound spatiality. Moreover, a new suggestion about the bequest of Paris is Burning on a cinematographic, musical and performative level has been pointed out.https://cinergie.unibo.it/article/view/10408paris is burningnew queer cinemafilm musicsoundtrackrealness |
| spellingShingle | Costanza Rovetta “I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is Burning Cinergie paris is burning new queer cinema film music soundtrack realness |
| title | “I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is Burning |
| title_full | “I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is Burning |
| title_fullStr | “I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is Burning |
| title_full_unstemmed | “I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is Burning |
| title_short | “I am what I am. I am my own special creation”. The trans-genre soundtrack of Paris Is Burning |
| title_sort | i am what i am i am my own special creation the trans genre soundtrack of paris is burning |
| topic | paris is burning new queer cinema film music soundtrack realness |
| url | https://cinergie.unibo.it/article/view/10408 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT costanzarovetta iamwhatiamiammyownspecialcreationthetransgenresoundtrackofparisisburning |