Overview
Describing herself as a 'street queen,' Johnson was a legendary fixture in New York City’s gay ghetto and a tireless voice for LGBT pride since the days of Stonewall, who along with fellow trans icon Sylvia Rivera, founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), a trans activist group based in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. Her death in 1992 was declared a suicide by the NYPD, but friends never accepted that version of events. Structured as a whodunit, with activist Victoria Cruz cast as detective and audience surrogate, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson celebrates the lasting political legacy of Johnson, while seeking to finally solve the mystery of her unexplained death.
MovieMagicScore Overview
Auto-generatedDirected by David France, this 2017 documentary celebrates the life and lasting legacy of a legendary self-described street queen and tireless LGBT activist who became a fixture of New York City life from the Stonewall era onward. Structured partly as an investigation into the unresolved circumstances of her 1992 death, the film follows an activist acting as both detective and audience guide. Thoughtful and impassioned, it weaves together history, advocacy, and remembrance to honor a pivotal figure in trans and queer rights. With a MagicMovieScore of 7.1, it is essential for viewers interested in LGBT history and social-justice documentaries.
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Trailer
Top Cast
Marsha P. Johnson
Self (archive footage)
Victoria Cruz
Self
Sylvia Rivera
Self (archive footage)
Taylor Mead
Self (archive footage)
Pat Bumgardner
Self (archive footage)
Vito Russo
Self (archive footage)
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Why we're confident →Movie Info
Release Date
July 27, 2017
Runtime
1h 45m
Genres
Documentary
Director