Upstairs Inferno

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.

I saw this at a film festival in Seattle and was moved to tears. The story told wasn't one that I had heard of before, and it's terrifying to think that one man could hold the lives of so many people in his hands simply because of self-hatred. The story moves swiftly, and the testimonials are gripping. You feel like you're reliving the moments of the blaze just like they were. The direction is well done and smart and doesn't devolve into schmaltz or cheap tricks. Clever and sensitive. Overall, an excellent movie and one very well worth watching. The context is especially moving now that the massacre at the Pulse nightclub has occurred. Very moving and worth all the stars.

Living in Australia, I had little understanding or knowledge of this event. I saw the documentary at a film festival in Sydney and was amazed this hasn't been publicized more widely. This was truly a harrowing event for those involved and for a generation that followed. The gay and lesbian community may be a tight knit one but most have probably never heard of this terrible tragedy. This documentary goes beyond the GBLTI community and should be remembered by the wider community so it can never happen again. The more people that see this and understand just what these people have gone through, not just during, but the continued lingering effects afterwards, may realise that there is still a hatred in the world that doesn't belong. It doesn't hit you with a punch but builds into something that you will remember and hopefully support in the long term, not the short.

Prior to the Orlando shooting in 2016, the fire at the Upstairs Lounge was the worst mass murder of LGBTQ people...and it's a story that few even in the community know.

Dallas filmmaker Robert L. Camina (of Raid on the Rainbow Lounge fame) recounts the story of the friendly New Orleans gay bar and the night that ended in a devastating fire. He makes us care about the victims. He interviews survivors, family members and those who fought to bring recognition to the event for what it was: a brutal, horrific MURDER of innocent people.

In short, a top notch documentary!

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.