We’re thrilled to be joined by Pauline Black, in-person, for a Q&A after the film screening with Dr. Peter Webb*.
Pauline Black, lead singer of 2-Tone hit band The Selecter, tells her extraordinary life story in the same frank manner that helped shape her as an iconic, era-defining female musician. Pauline had a difficult upbringing and joining the 2-Tone music movement in 1979 was the perfect catalyst; enabling her to explore and express all sides of herself.
Looking back at her own ground-breaking experience in this feature documentary, Pauline traces how her legacy came about and how it is relevant to the world today, especially where society pushes the boundaries of gender, politics, race and identity.
Pauline, of mixed Nigerian and Jewish heritage, was adopted into a white family in Essex in the 50’s. Her upbringing was defined by casual racism from within her own family. Pauline went on to find her own identity in the Coventry 2-Tone music scene and The Selecter was a reflection of working-class life in Thatcher’s Britain, their music as social reportage and with an ethos of anti-racism and anti-sexism.
This is a cinematic and visceral documentary mixing intimate actuality, archive and interviews and a storming soundtrack. Contributors include Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, Don Letts, Skin, Damon Albarn, Rhoda Dakar, Lynval Golding, Mykaell Riley, Sonia Boyce and Jools Holland.
*Dr. Peter Webb is a writer, lecturer, publisher and musician, he is a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the UWE, Bristol. He previously worked in the music industry 1980 – 2002 as an artist with the breakbeat and trip hop project Statik Sound System and previous to that; the post punk bands Necromancy and Idiot Sideshow – doing soundtracks for a GLC film and working with Physical Theatre companies like Intimate Strangers and Blast Theory. He is the Owner and Creative Director of PC-Press, publishing books on Test Dept, Killing Joke, Massive Attack, Vague Fanzine, Beezer Photography and others. His current music project is New Brand and is doing a set of rereleased Statik Sound system releases.
Starring:
Pauline Black, Don Letts, Arthur ‘Gaps’ Hendrickson, Damon Albarn, Rhoda Dakar, Lynval Golding, Mykaell Riley, Sonia Boyce and Jools Holland.
Directed By:
Jane Mangy
Running time:
90 mins