Shakedown

2018, 82 Minutes, DCP
USA

Language: English

Presented by: Leilah Weinraub

Director: Leilah Weinraub

Distributor: Memory

“Shakedown” was a series of parties that took place in the early 2000’s as part of LA’s underground black lesbian stripper scene. Director Leilah Weinraub’s documentary, made of over 400 hours of exclusive footage, intimately documents a space that cultivated a community and freedom of expression for queer culture. After receiving a Shakedown flyer, Weinraub attended one of the parties and immediately connected to the experience and its community. She began shooting footage soon after, in 2002, when she was 23 years old until the parties were shut down by police in 2004.

The experience of Shakedown is in the footage; incorporating candid moments of the dancers (known as the Shakedown Angels), live recordings of emcees, and eclectic show flyers. Weinraub’s material transports viewers, supplementing the trip with interviews of former Shakedown dancers who reflect on this particular era in time. We follow three main characters, Shakedown CEO Ronnie Ron, and dancers Egypt and Jazmyne, as they recall their labor and experiences birthing a unique performance culture while bringing to life their fantasies and alter egos. Shakedown presents us with an informative look at a unique and historic community; Weinraub places us into a past that is at risk of being forgotten. (Margaret Rorison)

 

 
Screening with:
 
STRANGELY ORDINARY THIS DEVOTION, Dani & Sheilah ReStack, 2017, USA, 27 MIN
 
SOTD is a visceral exploration of feral domesticity, queer desire, and fantasy in a world under the threat of climate change. Utilizing and exploding archetypes, the film offers a radical approach to collaboration and the conception of family.

 

Ticketholder must be in line 15 minutes prior to show time. No refunds or exchanges.