All Girls to the Front: Sini Anderson Talks the Punk Singer and Kaleen Hanna

Riot Grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna, the front woman of Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, is at long last the subject of a documentary from punk rock feminist/filmmaker Sini Anderson.

Sometimes the only way to let your voice be heard is through the art you create. Sini Anderson's intimate documentary, The Punk Singer, explores the life of punk rock feminist and musician Kathleen Hanna who has indeed let her voice be heard.. From her early days as the frontwoman of Bikini Kill to her mysterious disappearance from the spotlight in 2005, the documentary features clips of over 20 years of archival footage and revealing interviews with stars like Joan Jett, Kim Gordon, Carrie Brownstein and Hanna herself.

We had the pleasure of sitting down with filmmaker Sini Anderson to talk about her friendship with Hanna, the double-edged sword of crowdfunding and the most important lesson she learned while making The Punk Singer.

Tribeca: The first time I ever heard of Kathleen Hanna & Bikini Kill was when I saw 10 Things I Hate About You. It was among the bands Julia Stiles' character mentions as her favorites.

Sini Anderson: Really? [laughs] That's hilarious. Julia Stiles actually introduced Bikini Kill to one of my exes! She actually went to summer camp with her. For their talent show, Julia Stiles made my ex go in the bathroom and learn Feels Blind and then perform it on stage.

Tribeca: So in a way, Julia introduced both of us to Bikini Kill!

SA: There you go. Julia Stiles is helping bring Bikini Kill into the mainstream. I wonder if she'll see our little movie.

Tribeca: You should tweet her.

SA: Maybe right after this interview!

Tribeca: Do you remember your own first experience with Kathleen Hanna and Bikini Kill?

SA: I was living in Chicago at the time. I hadn't heard of them yet because I was a little more into the hip hop scene. I was actually a break dancer. I remember wandering the streets of Chicago one night, and I heard all this noise coming out of a club with all these chicks out front. I kind of pushed my way in and there was a Bikini Kill show going on. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My jaw just hit the floor.

These chicks were up there just totally taking control and they had so much energy. I had been to punk shows before, but I'd never seen a female front person like that. Shortly after that, I moved to San Francisco and really started to get into Bikini Kill from there.

Tribeca: I was really struck by the opening of The Punk Singer: It was the middle of the night in my house. I'm your worst nightmare come to life because I'm not going to shut up. I'm going to tell everyone. At that point, she was already starting to experiment with rhythm. Were you aware of Kathleen's spoken word origins?

SA: You know, I wasn't, until we became friends. I actually used to be a part of this all-chick spoken word group called Sister Spit in San Francisco during the 1990s. We used to talk about spoken word, but I hadn't seen any of her work in that genre until I started making the film. It was very clear from the footage that she should have been singing in a band.

Tribeca: When you think Punk Rock Feminist, there's a certain stigma that comes with that label. You don't expect Kathleen to be as funny, and warm, and loving, as she is. Were you pleased to be able to show that side of her to the public?

SA: Totally, but that's the Kathleen I've known and loved! All my best friends are these incredible punk rock feminists, and they're the funniest people that I know. Perhaps I'm biased! However, there's this assumption that because you're a powerful female with a strong message that's all you are. You can't be funny or sweet or even vulnerable. So it's great to see someone like Kathleen relax out of her message for a minute and be this hilarious person.

Tribeca: In addition to showing Kathleen's activism and musical prowess, the film also documents the dangers of undetected Lyme disease. Did you set out to do that or did it just happen naturally?

SA: I mean, it's her life, right? We documented her life experiences for a time, and Kathleen made the decision to be honest and public about her opinions whatever they may be. Kathleen has this incredible willingness to share these really difficult parts of her experiences, knowing that her candor is going to help someone on the other end. Of course, a lot of the issues she's faced over the course of her life are really serious, but she's super smart at being able to put a twist on her difficulties that makes her story a little bit more fun too.

Her music has a message but it's something you can dance to. Art is the best way to push a movement. If it's just the hardships, if it's just the politics, it can get exhausting. She does a really great job of mixing her music and energy, her fashion, and her Valley Girl accent in with all of these brilliant topics.

We need to let women tell their stories. We tend to doubt ourselves.

Tribeca: I was really struck by the lo-fi look of The Punk Singer, especially with some of the interviews the pink lighting and the plaid curtains were wonderful. How did you determine the look of the documentary?

SA: Originally, I wanted the documentary to happen seasonally. The interviews you're referring to actually took place in the back of a van at a Kathleen Hanna tribute show that happened at the Knitting Factory. The event is featured in the film. There were 21 bands that performed covers of her songs, and we interviewed them directly afterwards.

It was actually right before Christmas, which partially explains the Christmas lights and plaid. [laughs] After each band performed, they would jump into the back of the van. We had five cameras rolling and just cranked through those intervi

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