"Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer"

Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer, 2013

Dir.: Mike Lerner, Maxim Pozdorovkin

Prod.: Maxyne Franklin, Nick Fraser, Xenia Grubstein, Martin Herring, Mike Lerner, Havana Marking, Maxim Pozdorovkin, Nick Quested, Kate Townsend

It's here, it's here, it's HERE! The summer documentary series on HBO has arrived! I never knew how much I wanted this until it actually happened! 

It started last night, but I got home late last night and I stayed up way too late watching the doc and by the time I finished, I was way too tired to blog. Especially because this particular doc is mainly in Russian, meaning subtitles, meaning every time I looked down for a second to jot down some notes, I missed something, so there was a lot of rewinding involved. Luckily, my husband kept his word and watched with me, and helpfully read the subtitles when he noticed my head was down. 

HBO really chose a strong leader for the first doc of the summer season with "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer".

You probably have heard of Pussy Riot without even realizing it, especially if you were an avid news watcher early in 2012. They made CNN and world news headlines. 

A group of Russian women of varying ages, outraged by the re-election of Vladimir Putin in 2011, stage visually stunning, guerrilla-style protests, hiding their identities with brightly colored clothing and covering their faces with balaclavas (ski masks), looking like Luchador Barbie.

Accessories include: ATTITUDE!

They scream feminist, anti-government lyrics set to driving punk music, throw confetti and shoot off colored smoke bombs. They are Pussy Riot - they are strong, outspoken women, and they are angry.

In February of 2012, members of Pussy Riot decide to stage a performance at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow...on the altar...during a service. Yeah. These girls have BALLS. 

Naturally, security is called and three of the members of Pussy Riot are arrested on moral charges.

The documentary actually begins with video footage of the arrest, followed by interrogations of the three women who were arrested: three good looking, well spoken women in their early-to-mid-twenties. They are introduced as Nadia, Katia and Masha.

otherwise known as the hottest bitches in cell block go-fuck-yourself

In one interview with the police, Nadia is asked, "Why do you fight the Russian Orthodox Church?" 

"Did you see where the Easter services were held? The cathedral symbolizes the union of church and state," she replies. "That's not how it should be...the Patriarch stands at the altar. But a woman should occupy it. As a member of Pussy Riot, I believe that women should be allowed to run services and that women should stand at the altar. Because she is not a sinful creature." 

The rest of the documentary follows the trial and persecution of the three Pussy Riot members. Cameras, recorders, reporters, journalists, media of all kinds are allowed access to the courtroom. Not one camera is shooed away, no journalist are asked to turn of their recording devices. 

As Nadia is led, handcuffed, into a courtroom, she has nothing but smiles for the overwhelming amount of reporters that show up. She chats with them, flirts with them, states that Pussy Riot is a group that Russia needs. Her husband Peter shouts, "You look good, Nadia!" 

"I always look good," is her coquettish reply. 

Katia receives a welcome from her family, who ask her if prison has a library. She replies yes, but the books are old and that new books take a long time to arrive. Her father assures her that they would send her new ones but “You’ll be out before they reach you.”

As for Masha, she is asked by a reporter if her son was going to be taken away. Masha replies, “No...When the investigator presented the charges, he asked me a question: is your child being cared for? And if he needs to call social services. I almost had a nervous breakdown. I don’t want to hear a word about social services. And if this horrific theater affects my child in any way, that will be the worst that could happen.”

Pussy Riot’s lawyer, Violetta, is a ball-buster. She’s tough and fights hard for her clients. She disagrees with the court’s decision to keep the girls in jail instead of releasing them on bail, insisting that this is just going to fuel protest fires, rather than smother them.

“Punk has never existed in Russia, and neither has performance art. Nobody understands it,” explains another Pussy Riot lawyer.

Meanwhile, members of The Russian Orthodox "carriers of the cross" refer to Nadia as a “demon” and the other girls as “witches”, and discuss how in the 16^th century, the girls would have been hanged or burned. They hold their own protests outside the courtroom as the trial commences, singing hymns and carrying pictures of religious icons. 

As the Pussy Riot trial gains momentum, supporters from all over the world – America to Amsterdam to Ireland – are posting YouTube videos and making statements, calling for “Free Pussy Riot”. Madonna and Yoko Ono make public announcements in their support of the imprisoned women. Madonna even performs, in Moscow, with “Pussy Riot” written on her back, and wearing a balaclava.

CHECK!

THIS!

SHIT!

OUT!!!!!

I think the one thing you must keep in mind while you are watching this film is, Did these women really do anything wrong? 

What I mean by this is, did they deserve to be jailed for their "crimes"? In America, they would have a right to protest. In a draconian Russian court system, minor offenses are deemed jail-worthy. Do they really "deserve" to be imprisoned for protesting at a church? While the documentary itself gives the viewer its opinion, it's done in a way that it's really left up to the viewer themselves to decide for sure, which I think makes this a wonderful doc to watch with a group, especially if you're the lively debate type of group. 

Next week: "Love, Marilyn" - a look into the very private life of one of Hollywood's most beloved stars. 

“Art is not a mirror to reflect the world, but a hammer with which to shape it” – Bertolt Brecht

Want to join the movement to Free Pussy Riot? Visit http://freepussyriot.org/about

"Fagbug"

Fagbug, 2009

Dir.: Erin Davies

Prod.: Susan Coscione, Erin Davies, Jennifer K. Persons

In the mid-1990's, Eve Ensler wrote a monologue about the word "cunt" for her play, "The Vagina Monologues". The goal, she explains, was to reclaim a lovely word, despite its negative connotations. Following an unfortunate incident in 2007, Albany college student Erin Davies aimed to do the same thing with the word "fag".

In April of 2007, as she was leaving for work, Erin discovered that someone had spray painted the word "fag" on the driver's side window of her gray Volkswagen Beetle, and "U R GAY" on the hood, with red spray paint. Erin, an out lesbian, is visibly upset, shocked and embarrassed at the vandalism. The police refuse to recognize it as a hate crime, and her insurance company will not pay to have the graffiti removed. So, despite the warnings from her girlfriend, her mother and her brother, Erin decides to leave the graffiti on the car.

When she arrives to work on her college campus later that day, she is asked to move her car away from the general population, in case other people are offended by it, and to prevent any more vandalism. Erin refuses to move her car.

At first, everyone is supportive of Erin's decision to leave the graffiti. She recieves positive messages on her blog, on her MySpace page, and on her voicemail. After gaining media attention for driving the graffitied car around Albany and marching in Albany Pride, Erin decides to take a cross-country road trip in her "Fagbug", to promote awareness and speak out against hate crimes and homophobia. After raising over $800 for her trip, several of her friends turn their backs on her, insisting that the money Erin has raised should go to a charitable organization, not to pay for a "summer vacation". They tell her that by keeping the money, she doesn't help anyone but herself.

This I did not understand. Erin raised money so that she could promote awareness. It's not like she was doing this for fun. She

Shortly before her trip, someone removes the word "fag" from her window using what she suspects is a razorbade while she is in a bar with friends. After some contemplation, Erin puts it back on. Without the word on the car, her mission falls flat. She cannot reclaim the word if it's gone.

Erin's road trip commences. She stops in Florida, where she speaks to the friends and family of Ryan Skipper, a young man who was murdered for being gay 35 days before Erin's car was vandalized. She also stops in South Carolina, where she is in time to attend a memorial service for Sean Kennedy, another young man who was beaten to death for being gay only 28 days after Erin's car was vandalized. She learns from those attending Sean Kennedy's memorial service that South Carolina is one of three states that do not have hate crime laws.

Everywhere Erin goes, she obviously recieves attention - some good, some bad. People leave notes on her car, calling her an inspiration. Some even leave money. One woman even pays for her hotel room one night. Strangers share their own stories of discrimination, hatr crimes and homophobia, and thank Erin for her bravery. At one point, a note appears that reads: "It's a shame you made this up", and then a phone number at the bottom. Naturally, Erin calls the letter writer and asks to meet him. The man who left the note agrees to be shown on camera, and accuses Erin of doing the graffiti herself just to gain media recognition and make money.

Obviously that is maddening. Erin makes it very clear that her intention was never to make money and why, as a gay woman, would she ever vandalize her own car just for attention? That would be like me painting giant swastikas on the hood of my car.

Erin's trip has its ups and downs. Among the highlights: she has a rock thrown at her window in New Mexico, cracking her windshield. She recieved donations at San Diego Pride, and was asked to drive the Fagbug in the parade. Erin was informed that there was a group online called "Boycott the Fagbug", a group that was determined to shut down Erin's mission, claiming she was doing nothing to promote gay pride and that she was only a gimmick. Erin is also awarded Most Outstanding Individual at Vancouver Pride. 

One amazing turnaround happens when Erin recieves a call from someone at Volkswagen of America. They tell her that they want to sponor her, and reimburse her for gas and any car repairs. This just about floored me. You would think that a big corporation like Volkswagen would be dead set against a young lesbian driving all over the country with a pejorative word spray painted on her window and hood of one their models. Instead, Volkswagen embraced it! I wanted to cheer!

Erin meets another road tripper in Wyoming, a young man, and they happen to meet up again in another state. She asks him to participate in an experiment, and has him drive the Fagbug for a few hours. His experience was terrible, and the reactions were violently negative. He was pulled over by a policeman for having "profanities" on the car, and yelled at by passing cars.

Towards the end of her journey, in North Carolina, Erin pulls into a hotel and sees another car with the word "FAG" written on it. As she walks around the corner of the hotel, she spies a group of young men, all of whom are drinking. One of them recognizes Erin and calls her by name. How terrifying is that? When I heard this, I was terrified. I didn't want anything bad to happen to Erin - as my parents always used to tell me: cars are replaceable; people are not. At this point, I felt connected to Erin. I almost felt like she was my friend. I feared for her safety. Thankfully, Erin and the Fagbug survive the night, though she quickly leaves. Erin realizes that whether she likes it or not, her face has been in the media, and she very well may be a target.

Her prediction proves to be true. In Tampa, Florida, where Erin relocated, all four of the Fagbug's windows are smashed with a rock. Her neighbors suggest covering the car, but Erin decides against it.

After driving the Fagbug for a year, Erin decides to remove the graffiti. Courtesy of Volkswagen, she paints the bug in rainbow stripes (exactly like the Beetle that's on the poster).

Over the course of Erin Davies' crusade, she drove 55,00 miles across the country, htrough 41 states. She made headlines in 5 countries, interviewed 500 people, shot 110 hours of footage and documented 50 other hate crimes. Erin spoke at 25 schools, recieved 18 notes on her car, participated in 11 gay prides, had 7 people try to remove the graffiti and replaced 4 broken windows.

Fag is definitely one of those words that carries a heavy connotation. Much like the "N" word or the "C" word, fag is a slur that has also been used so very casually, without much thought as to the actual weight.

I absolutely adored Fagbug and Erin Davies. I admired her for her bravery and her determination to make others aware of the power of words. It made me want to go out and do something. It has been so long since I was active in the LGBTQ community, and this film has inspired me to become more involved. I was excited to discover that Erin is working on a sequel to Fagbug, which has yet to be given a title. I cannot wait to see it, and will review it as soon as I do! The sequel, exactly like the original, will be dedicated to "whoever vandalized my car". 

For more information on Erin Davies, her travels and the Fagbug, you can check out her website!

"The Good Mother"

The Good Mother, 2009

Dir.: Sarah Klein

Prod.: Anne Labro and Tom Mason

The tagline on Sarah Klein's study on suburban motherhood reads, "What makes a good mother?"

Well, that's a loaded question if I've ever heard one. Bravo, I'm interested. How many times have you heard someone refer to another as "mother of the year" with those oh-so-sarcastic undertones? Turns out there is an actual Mother of the Year award. I am not kidding.

The Good Mother goes inside the competition and the selection process of the American Mothers Incorporated's Young Mother of the Year award. The concept of the film is good. Klein obviously was trying to make some sort of satire out of this film by cutting scenes with archival footage of the archetypal 1950's stay-at-home mom: smiling until her cheeks hurt as she makes the beds, vaccuums and serves dinner to her family before they all bow their heads to pray. But to be quite honest, I alternated between being bored and shaking my head in disbelief. 

Apparently, for the past 70-something years, American Mothers Incorporated has been electing the Young Mother of the Year. They select one mother from each state that's been nominated by her peers, then, after three days of "rigorous examination", they compete for the national title by reading aloud an essay they have each written on what being a mother means to them.

At one point in the film, Connell Branan, a former recipient of the Young Mother of the Year Award describes the feeling she had when she was given the title: "All I wanted to be was a good mom and this says, 'Yes you are!'"

Is this the level we're at now? Women need a title to believe they're a good mother? Like how a driver's license says you're a good driver?

There's no monetary prize, only a title and an opportunity to be the spokesperson for mothers all across the country. It was actually founded by none other than J.C. Penney during the Depression era. Married women were taking odd jobs and struggling to keep their children fed while their husbands were out looking for work. So Penney wanted to award the "unwavering sacrifice of mothers" for their family and children. The first Young Mother of the Year was crowned in 1935.

I'm starting to see what they were doing there. But still, the question still stands: what makes a good mother?

Well, according to American Mothers Incorporated, to qualify for the competition, the woman must fit the following criteria: she must strive to improve her mothering skills; be married to her husband (a man), in a legal ceremony; all her children must be under the age of 18; and she must be an active member of a "faith-based organization". Each mother must submit a portfolio and answer a series of questions about motherhood, such as: what do you do to nurture each child? What has influenced your decisions as a mother and a wife? Do you have a family activities time?

When asked by Klein what would disqualify a woman in the competition, one of the organizers of the Young Mother of the Year competition admitted that lesbians have never been accepted. Yeah, saw that coming from a mile away. Fun fact: Hillary Clinton was a nominee for the Young Mother of the Year in the early 1980's but didn't win nationals. 

The film focuses on four of the competetors: Tonia, the Nebraska native with two children who persuaded her to quit work and stay at home; Kimberly, the New Hampshire mom who gave up a high paying career to raise her two children; Renee, the Indiana mother of five who cries as she packs her suitcases when it's time for her to leave for the competition; and Maria, the Oregonian Type-A mother who organizes the lives of her five children to a T.

Over three days, anonymous judges evaluate the mothers on several criteria, such as the ability to relate well with others, their devotion to motherhood, and their devotion to God. The afforementioned former Young Mother of the Year, Connell Branan, who also acts as a judge in this competition, digs her hole a little deeper by announcing that American mothers have gotten "lazy and selfish...Moms need to focus on their children and not let others tackle that job."

Okay, let's pump the brakes here. Lazy and selfish? Holy hyperbole, Batman. Are you trying to tell me that just because a mother decides to put her child in daycare because she needs to work 40 hours a week to put food on the table, she's considered lazy and selfish? Right then and there Connell Branan loses all my respect.

I really lost it during a judge's deliberation. The judges are all women, of course, of varying ages. The nominated mothers have just given the speeches on which they are being judged on. One of the head judges reminds the group: "We always like to involve prayer in our decisions. We will at some point be asking the help of our Creator because he knows who should represent young mothers."

What. No, seriously - what? Okay, I'm starting to get a clearer picture of American Mothers Incorporated now...

Meanwhile, we see a glimpse of what the husbands of Tonia, Maria, Kimberly and Renee are dealing with while their wives are away, and it's almost laughable: clueless men fumble around their homes amidst crying babies and picky toddlers, wading through piles of laundry to locate their child’s favorite belt or hairbrush. It honestly shows men in quite a poor light.

When the time finally comes to announce the winners, the head judge annouces to the room that "it was kind of hard for the selection committee. We had all these leaders jumping out at us. We each spent many hours...reading portfolios and speaking with our Lord about what he wanted us to do." Okay, what?

Well, the winner is announced, there's a ton of boo-hooing and forced smiles. The women are congratulating the winner but it's so very obvious what they're thinking as they hug one another. One of the women the documentary follows goes to her room, chugs a huge bottle of Mountain Dew and tries to hold back tears as she removes her eye makeup. She contemplates to Klein what she could have done better, or differently. But then she decides that no one is perfect. Oh. Shocker.

I think Sarah Klein's efforts were valiant in The Good Mother. I think she wanted to show that this was a somewhat antiquated competition with ridiculous guidelines and that every mother is a good mother. When this was filmed in 2008, only twenty-three states nominated mothers for the competition. However, only sixteen of them actually attended the conference. Perhaps that's a bit of a signal to the organizers that not everyone feels this is a relavent competition anymore. Not to mention the fact that they are isolating a huge amount of the population - for example, the guidelines say she must be married to the father of her children. So are we saying that widows aren't good mothers? What about divorcees? In my opinion, those women work twice as hard to be good mothers to their children, and yet they won't be recognized by this committee because they're not "married". 

Overall, The Good Mother frustrated me. It was a well edited documentary, but I didn't find the subject matter completely interesting.