Dive into more than a century of decadence with this tantalizing look at the evolution of burlesque. Cabaret star Leslie Zemeckis traces the art form from vaudeville-style variety show through its extinction and contemporary rebirth. Vintage photos, film clips and ads illustrate burlesque's resilient history and how the public's sexual appetite kept it alive amid moral and legal ado.
Direction
Zemeckis treats her subjects like legends, not novelty — rare for docs about sex work.
Production
Scrappy archive digging that resurrects entire careers from basement film cans.
Writing
Lets the performers narrate their own mythologies, contradictions and all.
Director
Leslie Zemeckis
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Director Leslie Zemeckis is married to Robert Zemeckis — she used their Forrest Gump money to fund this passion project about forgotten women.
Many interviewees had never spoken on record before; several died shortly after filming, making this their only testimonial.
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