Upstairs Inferno
| Upstairs Inferno | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Robert L. Camina |
| Produced by |
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| Narrated by | Christopher Rice |
| Cinematography | Nick Morr |
| Edited by | Robert L. Camina |
| Music by |
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Production company |
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Release dates |
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Running time | 96 minutes[1] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Upstairs Inferno is a 2015 American documentary film written, produced, and directed by Robert L. Camina. It chronicles the events surrounding the UpStairs Lounge arson attack on June 24, 1973, in New Orleans, Louisiana and the city's response to the tragedy.
It had its festival premiere as the closing night film at the North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on August 22, 2015.[2]
Synopsis[edit]
The film takes an investigative approach to unpacking and retelling the unsolved crime of the UpStairs Lounge arson attack which was, until the Pulse nightclub shooting on June 12, 2016, the largest mass murder of LGBTQ people in the history of the United States.[3] The story is told through a mix of archival footage and interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses, and city officials past and present. It emphasizes the lack of media response to the attack at the time and the district attorney's failure to investigate despite a recommendation from the Louisiana state fire marshal to do so. The film is narrated by author Christopher Rice.[4]
Impact[edit]
At the time of production, there were several victims of the 32 killed that remained unidentified or their whereabouts unknown.[5] In 2015, the film's production and publicity led the family of Ferris LeBlanc to finally learn the tragic fate of their kin through a simple Google search of his name.[6][7] A niece of a previously unnamed victim, Larry Norman Frost, came forward to claim her uncle as one of the unidentified, reaching-out to the filmmakers who altered the final cut to include a tribute to Frost after cross-referencing the claim.[8]
Upstairs Inferno was invited to screen at the Library of Congress on February 16, 2017.[9]
Critical reception[edit]
The film won multiple awards in its festival run and was met with mixed but generally positive reviews from critics.
The Arkansas Times called it "a heartbreaking portrait of sustained grief".[10] While The Texas Observer was more tepid in proclaiming "Upstairs Inferno is not stylistically innovative" but "a worthy effort".[11]
Awards[edit]
| Year | Award | Category | Nominee | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Manhattan Film Festival | Film Heals Award | Robert L. Camina | Won |
| 2016 | Kansas International Film Festival | Best Documentary Film | Robert L. Camina | Nominated |
| 2015 | Seattle Queer Film Festival | Best Documentary Film | Robert L. Camina | Won |
| Long Beach QFilm Festival | Best Documentary Feature | Won | ||
| North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival | Best Men's Feature | Won | ||
| Best Men's Documentary | Won |
References[edit]
- ^ "Upstairs Inferno | Prime Video". www.amazon.com.
- ^ Rao, Anita (18 August 2015). "'Upstairs Inferno' Shows Forgotten LGBT History". WUNC.
- ^ Stack, Liam (14 June 2016). "Before Orlando Shooting, an Anti-Gay Massacre in New Orleans Was Largely Forgotten". The New York Times.
- ^ "Upstairs Inferno". Frameline.
- ^ Conerly, Jennifer. "Upstairs Lounge Arson, 1973: Aftermath". New Orleans Historical.
- ^ Fieseler, Robert W. (1 October 2020). "Soldier in a Tinderbox: Ferris LeBlanc, World War II, and the Up Stairs Lounge Fire". The National WWII Museum | New Orleans.
- ^ McLeod, Jerry (10 June 2015). "Family solves mystery after learning uncle died in infamous Up Stairs Lounge Fire 40-plus years ago in New Orleans". NOLA.com. The Times-Picayune.
- ^ "Unknown Victim of Deadly 1973 Arson in Gay Bar Finally Identified". www.advocate.com.
- ^ Carney, Brian T. (9 February 2017). "Deadly 1973 hate crime recalled in new documentary". www.washingtonblade.com.
- ^ Barlow, Seth Eli (17 August 2016). "Seven to watch". Arkansas Times.
- ^ Agresta, Michael (10 November 2015). "'Upstairs Inferno' a Harrowing Look Back at LGBT Life in the South". The Texas Observer.