Arena - Season 1990

First aired: 4/6/1990 4 episodes

Episodes

1. Paris Is Burning

Aired: 4/6/1990

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City’s African American and Latinx Harlem drag ball scene. Made over seven years, this film offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion houses, from fierce contests for trophies, to house mothers offering sustenance in a world where house members face homophobia and transphobia, racism, Aids and poverty. Paris is Burning celebrates the joy of movement, the force of eloquence, and the draw of community.

2. Jana Bokova's Havana

Aired: 4/15/1990

Havana has a dilapidated ruined beauty - decaying grandeur alongside squalor with a string atmosphere of Africa and Old Spain. Despite the political turmoil of Cuba's last 30 years, its people remain among the most imaginative and fascinating in the world. Under the dictatorship of Castro, Cuba has become a highly regulated state to say the least. Director Jana Bokova persuaded the citizens of Havana to talk about their lives, their city and Cuba, despite their anxieties and fears about opening up to a foreign film crew. The film goes beneath the skin of this legendary city, particularly through its extraordinarily rich music which enables the people to express their true attitudes and feelings. It also visits Little Havana in Miami, 90 miles away, home to some of the one million exiles to have left Cuba in the last 30 years.

3. Oooh Er Missus! The Frankie Howerd Story

Aired: 6/1/1990

Documentary about the life of Frankie Howerd, with help from friends and colleagues and including highlights from his TV and film career.

4. Agatha Christie - Unfinished Portrait

Aired: 9/20/1990

Profile celebrating the centenary of the famous author Agatha Christie’s birth. Looking at her life, her character and the key moments in her childhood that influenced her writing.