5th(2003)
Rise Above: The Tribe 8 Documentary
Tracy Flannigan
- USA
- 2002
- 80min
- Beta
- color
SYNOPSIS
A documentary on dyke punk rock band Tribe 8, based in San Francisco. Tribe 8 plays bare-breasted and accompanied by dildos. They invite male members of the audience on the stage and let them suck their dildos and sing songs all the while hailing the sado-masochistic content.
The film shows how Tribe 8 struggle to overcome the typical images of female singers, images that require women have sex-appeal to be successful, and the limits of the ‘feminine’ genre, which is mainly folk music. Director Tracy Flannigan traces the childhood of each member, the meaning of being in the band for them, their thoughts on sexuality and survival tactics given the harsh realities confronting each of them. On stage their working class lesbian anger is released as courage and sense of freedom, and their connection to other ‘outsiders’ is made. A powerful film about transcending realities and expectations. (Kim Sun-ah)
The film shows how Tribe 8 struggle to overcome the typical images of female singers, images that require women have sex-appeal to be successful, and the limits of the ‘feminine’ genre, which is mainly folk music. Director Tracy Flannigan traces the childhood of each member, the meaning of being in the band for them, their thoughts on sexuality and survival tactics given the harsh realities confronting each of them. On stage their working class lesbian anger is released as courage and sense of freedom, and their connection to other ‘outsiders’ is made. A powerful film about transcending realities and expectations. (Kim Sun-ah)
PROGRAM NOTE
A documentary on dyke punk rock band Tribe 8, based in San Francisco. Tribe 8 plays bare-breasted and accompanied by dildos. They invite male members of the audience on the stage and let them suck their dildos and sing songs all the while hailing the sado-masochistic content.
The film shows how Tribe 8 struggle to overcome the typical images of female singers, images that require women have sex-appeal to be successful, and the limits of the ‘feminine’ genre, which is mainly folk music. Director Tracy Flannigan traces the childhood of each member, the meaning of being in the band for them, their thoughts on sexuality and survival tactics given the harsh realities confronting each of them. On stage their working class lesbian anger is released as courage and sense of freedom, and their connection to other ‘outsiders’ is made. A powerful film about transcending realities and expectations. (Kim Sun-ah)
The film shows how Tribe 8 struggle to overcome the typical images of female singers, images that require women have sex-appeal to be successful, and the limits of the ‘feminine’ genre, which is mainly folk music. Director Tracy Flannigan traces the childhood of each member, the meaning of being in the band for them, their thoughts on sexuality and survival tactics given the harsh realities confronting each of them. On stage their working class lesbian anger is released as courage and sense of freedom, and their connection to other ‘outsiders’ is made. A powerful film about transcending realities and expectations. (Kim Sun-ah)
Director
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Tracy FlanniganTracy Flannigan
Tracy Flannigan is an independent filmmaker living in Los Angeles who began making movies when she was seventeen years old. She has been directing music videos, documentaries and shorts for 15 years. Flannigan’s next project is about the use of anti-depressants among the youth.
Credit
- ProducerTracy Flannigan
- Cast Lyn Breedlove, Silas Flipper Howard, Leslie Mah, S
- Cinematography Eve Bregman, Sarah Harbin
- Editor Marina Tait, Michelle Harrison, Tracy Flannigan
- Music Tribe 8
