Upstairs Inferno

The 1973 arson of the UpStairs Lounge in New Orleans was the deadliest day for LGBT people in America until the massacre at Pulse. During a beer bust on Sunday, June 24, 1973, someone soaked the wooden staircase to the lounge in lighter fluid and set it ablaze.The fire trapped around half of the patrons, who couldn't make it to an exit. And now Upstairs Inferno reminds us all of the darkest day in gay history in America, a day that all Americans should never forget when 32 lives were lost. Thank you Robert Camina for bringing this film to life and sharing the history of that day at 141 Chartres Street in the French Quarter of New Orleans, Louisiana.

Looks like the internet trolls have attacked this film for being in the LGBT category (which is an IMDb problem). Always something with the alt-right losers.

You can see the number of wins that this film has won over the last year. I have seen it three times... Camina seems in total control of his canvas... every frame captures a moment - the silences are intense.. and we are allowed into the heart of this movie.

Camina is in his element with gay documentaries. If you haven't seen his first - Raid of the Rainbow Lounge, it's another intense documentary.

A heartbreaking account of the horrifying fire in a gay bar is very well produced with rare archive footage and photos. This is history that needs to be told. So many people (including myself) had no idea that this fire had occurred. Though uncomfortable to watch it's a MUST SEE for LGBTQ history.

At a time when the rights of many American Citizens were still being denied or challenged, a gay nightclub was intentionally set afire. That would have been horrific enough, but how the community reacted was even more chilling. the story of those who died, those who survived and the effects it had on community and family will leave the viewer heartbroken, aghast and incredulous. It was at the time, and until recently, the largest gay mass murder in history. The film does remind us how far we have come, but in light of recent events, it also reminds us how far we have to go. This is a story ripped right from the headlines and yet, one very few people know about. Camina takes a difficult subject and reveals the truth of what happened to human beings, who had simply gone out for a night of fun with friends.

For those lucky enough to see this film, it details a truly heartbreaking moment in time for New Orleans, and the Gay Community at large. Anyone, regardless of whether you identify as part of the gay community will be moved by the stories told here. Robert Camina, the director, obviously has a tremendous amount of respect for the people who were directly affected by this tragic fire. At no point does the film feel sensationalize or exploitative, rather it is like going to a reunion with new friends, whose story can only be told by those who were there.