In Shakedown, Leilah Weinraub documents the relations between the dancers of a black lesbian strip club in Los Angelos. The film follows Ronnie-Ron, the manager and MC, Mahogany, the legendary mother of this scene, Egypt, star of the dance floor, and Jazmine, the inimitable Shakedown Queen. Shakedown is not some artsy experimental film, nor is it an enthnographic documentary about black and lesbian women in LA. Weinraub sets out to capture a unique moment of the now, and seemingly transcribes it into this fascinating film. Shakedown is a dreamlike portrait of an underground strip club created in LA by and for African American lesbians.
