Rare footage transports viewers back in time and behind the velvet rope into the famed Manhattan disco, an ambitious and audacious venture conceived by college friends Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. In the frenetic weeks leading up to Studio 54’s debut, while designers worked on lighting and layout, Rubell worked on the most important design decision: the composition of the clientele. The carefully curated guest list of celebrities and personalities built buzz among A-listers of all stripes, and in no time the club became both famous and infamous. Outside, the lines grew longer and the crowds more frustrated as desperate hopefuls were artfully denied access. Inside, the raucous reputation was earned nightly: music, dancing, sex, and drugs adorned a space where people were uncommonly free to be themselves. But the party to end all parties did indeed end, when one morning the IRS arrived with charges of tax evasion. A striking collection of insiders, including Schrager himself, recall the glorious rise and intense fall of the iconic cultural landmark.  ST

Q&A following screening