A long-buried box of letters penned by New York drag queens is opened in the modern era, revealing the 1950s—a time when the word “queer” was still very much a pejorative—as a glamorous but dangerous time to be gender non-conforming. To quote historian George Chauncey from the opening of the film: “Whenever you find a diary or a set of letters written by gay people themselves, it just opens up a world.”
Through original interviews, unearthed archival footage and photographs, and stylized recreations, P.S. Burn This Letter Please investigates and rediscovers a world of mopping (stealing) clothes, wigs and jewels and calling it ‘camp.’ There is joy, heartbreak and truth in the testimonies of famous/infamous queens, now well into their 80s and 90s, who reflect on the days when they were both revered and reviled, even within the gay community. We can be glad that Reno, to whom the titular letters were addressed, did not burn them, and instead left them to be found. -JB
Community Partner
- Year2020
- Runtime101 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereCanada
- DirectorMichael Seligman and Jennifer Tiexiera
- ProducerCraig Olsen
- Executive ProducerRichard Konigsberg
- CinematographerZachary Shields
- EditorAlex Bohs
A long-buried box of letters penned by New York drag queens is opened in the modern era, revealing the 1950s—a time when the word “queer” was still very much a pejorative—as a glamorous but dangerous time to be gender non-conforming. To quote historian George Chauncey from the opening of the film: “Whenever you find a diary or a set of letters written by gay people themselves, it just opens up a world.”
Through original interviews, unearthed archival footage and photographs, and stylized recreations, P.S. Burn This Letter Please investigates and rediscovers a world of mopping (stealing) clothes, wigs and jewels and calling it ‘camp.’ There is joy, heartbreak and truth in the testimonies of famous/infamous queens, now well into their 80s and 90s, who reflect on the days when they were both revered and reviled, even within the gay community. We can be glad that Reno, to whom the titular letters were addressed, did not burn them, and instead left them to be found. -JB
Community Partner
- Year2020
- Runtime101 minutes
- LanguageEnglish
- CountryUnited States
- PremiereCanada
- DirectorMichael Seligman and Jennifer Tiexiera
- ProducerCraig Olsen
- Executive ProducerRichard Konigsberg
- CinematographerZachary Shields
- EditorAlex Bohs