The isms of the world of the world exist even in the progressive movements that have swept humankind. The punk rebellion is no different; as a young teenager in the 80’s hardcore scene, was there sexism, racism & homophobia? I’m sure there was, but I will go on record: I didn’t really see it amongst my crew that often. When anybody in my crew tried to come with any kind of ism, they were dealt with quickly. One thing I will always remember is the respect women got in our scene – we had loads of bands that had women doing their thing, totally ripping shit: X, Sin34, Alice & The Bags, The Dicks, Red Cross, Tex & the Horse Heads, Black Flag, L7 & Frightwig. On a personal level, I was always in awe of the women who conquered post punk, punk rock & hardcore. I’m pretty sure it’s because I was raised by a strong mother who did not take shit from anyone. There is a new film called FROM THE BACK OF THE ROOM, produced, directed and shot by Amy Oden and co-produced by Brian Kruglak, which celebrates women in the underground rock movement over the past 20 years. It examines the struggles that these humans have faced on their journey. Below, hear from the creators of the film themselves, & after the jump check the screening dates to see if it’s coming to a city or town near you!
Many people have the impression that the Riot Grrrl movement in the mid-90s was the end-all, be-all of female involvement in DIY punk. This is definitely not the case! Plenty of amazing ladies prior to this era paved the way for it, and plenty of amazing ladies continue to help keep DIY together today. This documentary chronicles the past 30 years of female involvement in DIY punk, and has interviews with over 30 women from across the country, ages 17 to 40. Race, gender, sexuality, motherhood, class, and activism are all addressed in this film, giving a more complete picture of how these women participate in the DIY community, and how it affects their daily lives.
How has the film been funded? Where do the money from benefits go?
The film has been funded largely through benefit events held in and around the DC area. We’ve been planning benefits since August of 2006, and filming didn’t even begin until February of 2007. The money raised from the benefits has gone towards travel costs — plane tickets and rental cars — and also towards the purchase of a 1TB hard drive for storage of the footage. There have been and are constant grant proposals being submitted to various places, but no cash from that yet. If anyone has any information about possible funding sources for post-production, let us know!
August 13th: Athens, OH
@ Brown Town – 35 Brown Ave
No Booze, please
August 15th or 16th: Chicago, IL
Venue TBA
August 17th: Madison, WI
Venue TBA
August 18th: Minneapolis
@ Club Med, $5 donation
Potluck/Cookout @ 6 Bring some grub and/or a friend!
Screening @ 7 …Followed by Cokskar, Night Crusade & TBA
August 21st: Appleton, WI
@ the BFG on Lawe Street
August 22nd: Grand Rapids, MI
@ Bartertown Diner 6 Jefferson Street
August 23rd: Detroit, MI
Venue TBA
August 26th: Montreal, CANADA (montreal sisterhood and janick)
@ the Katacombs
August 27th: Burlington, VT (Justin: justin@gonyea.com)
@ 242 Main 7pm, $3 donation
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