Film Review~~~~ The Punk Singer by Sini Anderson

The Punk Singer is Kathleen Hana. Anderson uncovers the tale of why the voice of a generation goes silent.

    Lead singer of the band Bikini Kill, Kathleen Hana, was one of the most influential feminist icons of the 1990s. Anderson takes us deep into the story through a mash up of archival footage and interviews, decoding the mystery of what happened to the Riot grrrl.  Hana would often sing as a way to empower women, while "keeping it real". She is brutally honest, admitting that she had once been a stripper, and also singing about molestation and being used by men.  During the movie you find out that the real reason behind the music stopping was that Hana had caught an illness known as Lyme disease, but this is not the interesting part. There is alot of controversial aspects to Hana and her choices, such as marrying Adam Horovitz, from Beastie Boys, who once sang about women doing his laundry.In order for the film to not seem biased at all, Anderson gives us multi-generational perspective, having interviews with important people such as Tavi Gevinson from the Rookie Magazine and Jennifer Baumgardener of the feminist press speak on what Hana means to them.  

    For a documentary, this is a good one, great close up footage of performances , along with lively speakers being interviewed. What more could you want? I recommend watching this film if you are a fan of punk rock! rebel!