It takes balls to come out as gay or transgender in New York City today, especially for teens of color — which is exactly what the so-called “Kiki” scene sprung up to provide.
A quarter century after “Paris Is Burning,” the fire still rages with LGBTQ youth, as seen in Sara Jordeno’s brash and empowering feature debut, which celebrates how the Big Apple’s ballroom scene — that vibrant subculture of competitive dance-offs from which “vogueing” was born —*has inspired a new generation. Encouragingly enough, these obstreperous African-American teens are carrying the torch for more than just wild drag performances (if anything, the documentary is disappointingly light on actual ball footage); they have also advanced the fight for visibility, equality and all-around inclusion. In a context where “face” matters, “Kiki” introduces a number that audiences won’t soon forget.
