Jul. 23, 2008 - Issue #666: 666: The Devil You Know
No-cock rock
Dual documentaries examine tragedy and triumph for women rockers
Those statements, made during the course of The Gits by 7 Year Bitch drummer and co-founder of women’s self-defense education centre Home Alive Valerie Agnew, sums up the mystery at the heart of this film succinctly: what the fuck happened?
On Jul 7 1993, Mia Zapata, lead singer of Seattle’s the Gits, was walking home from a bar when she was brutally beaten, raped and finally strangled. The film about her life and her band delves into the immense tragedy of her death, and the effect that the ripples of grief had on her family, close friends and fans. Members of the Gits themselves tell most of the story, while riot grrl luminaries such as 7 Year Bitch and Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill fill the rest out.
They’re telling the story of a band on the brink of making it big, of realizing a dream, of being rewarded for years of hard work. Having slogged it out in the Seattle music scene for years while being true outsiders—in the sense that the Gits were never truly punk, nor were they rock, nor did they fit in with the burgeoning grunge movement—the band was poised to sign a big record deal, had already made a name for themselves in Europe after touring with TAD and Nirvana, and had the ability to connect with audiences in a singular way, thanks mostly to their fiery lead singer. All of that would be taken away.
The most enduring feeling of the entire film is the sweet-sadness that tinges the reminiscences of all those interviewed for the project. As seems typical for stories of those that die too young, anecdotes—even funny ones—are told with a misty-eyed delivery as there seems to be no way to separate the person from their tragic end.
The film—which started shooting prior to the 2004 conviction of Zapata’s killer, Jesus Mezquia, but wrapped afterwards—also works to cement Zapata’s role as a leader for the riot grrl movement. It was Zapata who taught the members of 7 Year Bitch to play their instruments in the first place, and it was her encouragement that got them onstage. It is her role as a forceful woman within the punk rock scene that ties The Gits in so well with the movie it is being screened back to back with at Metro Cinema—Girls Rock!.
At Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp in Portland, OR, girls come from all over America to spend a week learning to play an instrument, put together a band, rehearse and finally perform in front of a crowd of 700 people. Their teachers include the likes of Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney and Beth Ditto from the Gossip, and the real lesson they learn is not just how to rock out, but how to not be stifled from doing so.
The documentary follows a number of girls as they make their way through the challenges of the camp and learn about their own strengths and weaknesses. Amelia is a creative individual who writes experimental songs about her dog but has a tough time working with others; Lara is into death metal but struggles to fit in; Palace is incredibly imaginative but becomes anxious about her appearance to the point that she is getting sick at school; Misty is a former meth addict and gang member trying to turn her life around. The film focuses much of its attention on the unspoken constraints placed on young women in North American society and the insecurity that comes along with the rules that apply to girls and not to boys. Learning new skills in a supportive environment, accomplishing a task, and even self-defense classes are used to break the defeatist attitudes that some girls and young women have adopted by the time they are young adults.
The film has its share of inspiring moments, but it doesn’t provide much by way of an explanation as to how the constraints placed on women developed or why they can be fixed through rock ‘n’ roll. A lot of the blame is placed on the likes of Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera who, according to the film, somehow halted the riot grrl movement in its tracks, when, in reality, vacuous pop starlets existed before, during and after the breadth of the movement.
It also suffers from a lack of any follow-up. We hear at the end of the week-long camp that the girls feel transformed, but it is unclear how much of the camp’s message will stick with them when they return to the environments which made them feel like outcasts in the first place.
That being said, the ferocity of the girls’ performances and the feelings of DIY accomplishment that are readily apparent from their reactions makes this the type of movie that should prove inspiring to boys and girls alike. V
Sun, Jul 27 - Thu, Jul 31 (7 pm)
Girls Rock!
Directed by Arne Johnson, Shane King
Metro Cinema
SSS
Sun, Jul 27 - Thu, Jul 31 (9 pm)
The Gits
Directed by Kerri O’Kane
Metro Cinema
SSSS
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