David Farnor | On 13, Sep 2017

Who killed Marsha P. Johnson? She was one of the icons of the gay rights movement in the 1960s, the self-described “street queen” of NY’s gay ghetto, and founded the Transvestites Action Revolutionaries with fellow luminary Sylvia Rivera. When Johnson’s body was found in the Hudson River in 1992, though, police called it a suicide and didn’t investigate.

Now, Netflix’s new documentary will seeks to uncover the truth. The film, directed by David France, follows trans activist Victoria Cruz as she investigates Marsha’s death and celebrates her legacy. Exclusively acquired by Netflix earlier this year, The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson will premiere worldwide on Friday 6th October.

Here’s the new trailer for the documentary:

 

Netflix to explore The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson

5th June 2017

Netflix has bought the global rights to a new documentary about Marsha P. Johnson.

Known as the “Rosa Parks of the LGBT movement”, Johnson was a self-described “street queen” of New York’s gay ghetto and a key figure in the LGBT civil rights movement. After the Stonewall Riots in 1969, she and Sylvia Riviera went on to form the Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (STAR), the first ever trans-rights organisation, fighting additional obstacles such as homelessness and alcoholism to make a lasting change in the battle for civil rights.

Her death, though, was hardly befitting of such a luminous figure: her body was found in the Hudson River in 1992. Deemed a suicide by the NYPD, no further investigation was made into her death.

Enter crime-victim advocate Victoria Cruz, who reexamines exactly what happened to Marsha all those years ago. Her investigation is captured by director David France. The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson marks France’s follow-up to the similarly charged documentary, How to Survive a Plague, which was nominated for an Oscar.

The film is produced by Public Square Films, with Joy A. Tomchin and Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy) on board as executive producers.

It will premiere on Netflix worldwide later this year.

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