The life, death and legacy of the iconic Venus Xtravaganza is explored in a new documentary, released on Netflix on June 23, 2025. Venus Pellagatti Xtravaganza was an American trans woman known for her prominence in the iconic 1990 ballroom culture film, Paris is Burning.
Xtravaganza never got to see the ’90s documentary, however. She was murdered in December of 1988 at the age of only 23. No one was ever found or charged for her murder.
Now, years after her death, a new production, titled I’m Your Venus and directed by Kimberly Reed, revisits Xtravaganza’s death by bridging her biological family and her chosen house family as they search for answers while also celebrating Xtravaganza’s life.
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The documentary opens with a clip from Paris is Burning of Xtravaganza lying on a bed with a floral bedspread and stuffed animals in the corner, talking about her dreams for her future.
“I want a car,” she says. “I want to be with the man I love. I want to get married in church in white. I want children. I want to adopt. I want to be a professional model behind cameras in a high-fashion world. I want this. This is what I want. And I’m going to go for it.”
After a montage of clips, mostly from Paris is Burning, with ‘Strut’ by Elohim and Big Freedia playing in the background, there are also voice-overs from Xtravaganza’s brothers and the current house mother of the House of Xtravaganza, Giselle Xtravaganza, talking about family, care and protection.
The film follows Xtravaganza’s brothers, John, Joe, and Louie, as they seek justice and answers for her untimely death. They honour their sister by getting to know who she was while she was alive, including making connections with her chosen family. They also seek police reports, name changes, and they confront the authorities’ treatment of their sister throughout her life.
Her legacy is preserved through the making of her childhood home as a historic landmark in 2023, which also has a project behind it that seeks to serve the needs of the trans and LGBTQ+ communities, the process of which is displayed in the film.
I’m Your Venus initially premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in June of 2024, with the festival describing the documentary as “moving and timely”.
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