“Shakedown” Explores The World Of LA Lesbian Exotic Dancers

May 15, 2018• byMichael Strangeways

The 2018 documentary “Shakedown” examines the world of lesbian women of color working as strippers/exotic dancers in underground LA club. It screens at SIFF May 18 & 19, 2018.

“SHAKEDOWN

IS EXPLICIT AND ILLEGAL IN NATURE

THE CLUB IS DARKER FASTER YOUNGER

LOS ANGELES

IN THIS DIVIDED CITY SHAKEDOWN IS

ALL BLACK AND ALL FEMALE CASH ECONOMY”

-Shakedown website

15 years in the making, filmmaker Leilah Weinraub’s debut documentary Shakedown is one of the first LGBTQ films to screen at the 44th annual Seattle International Film Festival which kicks off Thursday with the gala opening film then kicks into high gear on Friday, May 18th. The film details the lives of five black lesbian exotic dancers (Egypt, Jazmyne, Junior, Mahogany, and Ronnie-Ron) at an underground club (named the Shakedown) in Los Angeles and their loyal fans and the community they have created over the years.

Ms Weinraub is scheduled to be in attendance for both screenings of the film, which debuts Friday, May 18th at the Uptown and replays on Saturday May 19th at Pacific Place/DT Seattle.

More info:

Under neon lights, the exotic dancers at the Los Angeles lesbian strip club Shakedown are uninhibited temptresses, and attendees their devoted worshippers. More than 15 years of footage brings underground liberated sexuality to the surface, representing queer culture and the tight-knit communities formed under its umbrella.

SHOWTIMES

FRIDAY, MAY 18, 2018

SIFF Cinema Uptown

9:00 PMWriter/Director Leilah Weinraub scheduled to attend

SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2018

AMC Pacific Place

11:00 AMWriter/Director Leilah Weinraub scheduled to attend

An homage to a city universally recognized for chasing fantasies, Leilah Weinraub’s debut Shakedown explores the underground realm of black lesbian exotic dancers in Los Angeles. Shedding light on mainstream taboo, dancers are portrayed as hypnotic seductresses, and liberated female sexuality as fluid, intense, and most notably, natural. Weinraub frequented club Shakedown for over 15 years, accumulating over 300 hours of video footage and countless images of its inhabitants. Among the lot, four women are the focal point of the film: founder Ronnie Ron, empowered and versatile Egypt, conventional performance reject Mahogany, and Jazmyn, known “Queen” of Shakedown. Decades of condensed footage reveal a community entirely its own, and the pure intentions of a filmmaker not attempting to fit into a clear-cut genre or exploit for shock value. Rather, Weinraub shares a story to expand a repressed definition of sexuality and to promote the acceptance of the many layers of identity. Among its effort to centralize queer culture from the outskirts of mainstream society, the film also features a powerful message of money as both a harsh reality and an arbitrary illusion.

Director Biography
Leilah Weinraub studied graduate film at Bard College and was mentored by director Tony Kaye (American History X). She is an artist, filmmaker, and the CEO of the Hood By Air fashion label. Shakedown premiered at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival, and a shorter version of it was shown at the Whitney Museum in New York.

Director:Leilah Weinraub
Principal Cast:Egypt, Jazmyne, Junior, Mahogany, Ronnie-Ron
Premiere Status:Seattle
Country:USA
Year:2018
Running Time:82 minutes
Producer:Riel Roch Decter, Sebastian Pardo, Leilah Weinraub
Screenplay:Leilah Weinraub
Cinematographers:Leilah Weinraub
Editors:Matt Hollis
Music:Tim Dewit
Website:Official Film Website
Filmography:Debut Feature Film
Language:English
Format:DCP

About the Author: Michael Strangeways

As the Editorial Director/Co-Owner, Michael Strangeways writes, edits and does about a million other jobs for Seattle Gay Scene, Puget Sound's most visited LGBTQ news, arts and entertainment website now celebrating its 14th year as a media outlet. A semi-proud Midwesterner by birth, he's lived in Seattle since 2000. He's also a film producer who would like you to check out the Jinkx Monsoon documentary, "Drag Becomes Him" now available on Amazon.com. In his spare time, he gets slightly obsessive about his love for old movies, challenging theater, "otters", vodka, chocolate, "I,Claudius", Lizzie Borden, real books made out of paper, disaster films, show tunes, Weimar era Germany, flea markets, pop surrealistic art, the sex lives of Hollywood actors both living and dead, kitties, chicken fried steak, haute couture and David Bowie. But, not necessarily in that order.