Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders

Revisiting one of the most contested chapters in queer cinema, Emmy-winning filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz examines the complex history surrounding William Friedkin’s Cruising and the real-world events that shaped its enduring legacy.

Schwarz excavates the radical visibility of New York’s leather community: a sex-positive, underground culture that challenged dominant ideas of queer identity, intimacy, and desire. Tracing the vibrant queer worlds that flourished in spaces like the city’s legendary piers—gathering places for connection and refuge that have since been demolished or gentrified—the film explores a defining moment of queer dissent and popular uprising. Blending archival investigation, true crime, and film history, Schwarz’s documentary offers a nuanced reflection on representation, displacement, and the communities whose histories continue to shape the cultural landscape.