Here to Be Heard: The Story of the Slits

Review by Aimee Knight @siraimeeknight

Directed by

William E Badgley

Starring

Dennis Bovell Hollie Cook Viv Albertine

Anticipation.

This one’s been a long time coming, so to speak.

Enjoyment.

The confused politics of (some) ’70s feminists has not aged well.

In Retrospect.

Tribute finally paid to our nasty foremothers.

The world’s first all-girl punk rockers take the stage in this entertaining docu-profile.

In 1976, drummer Paloma Romero – better known as Palmolive – had had enough of the racist, bigoted shtick of then bandmate Sid Vicious. She peaced out of The Flowers of Romance, with guitarist Viv Albertine in tow, and set about forming the world’s first all-girl punk group. Only, The Slits’ incendiary story has largely been redacted from pop culture’s chronicles – so says New York University’s professor of punk and reggae, Vivien Goldman, in this edifying documentary.

Here to Be Heard summons punk’s first feminist firecrackers: Romero, Albertine, bassist Tessa Pollitt and potent frontperson Ari Up. This self- made sorority sought to claim space, choice and new ways of being women, in step with second-wave feminism. Unsurprisingly, the era’s news media were mostly repulsed by the band’s perceived ‘antics’, criticising their rejection of conservative, middle-class, patriarchal values on the eve of Thatcher’s Britain.

With an archivist’s eye and adopting a progressive vantage, director William E Badgley jigsaws The Slits’ legacy back together. Present-day Tessa leafs through her Slits scrapbook, charting the band’s trajectory from opening for The Clash to jumpstarting the ‘riot grrrl’ epoch. Talking head interviews with the group’s key players and notable punk historians are candid and carefree, as is the film’s overall execution.

The DIY spirit of punk is alive in the imperfect production values, which are suitably endearing until the (remarkable) dialogue is muffled by music and/or poor recording conditions. Nonetheless, the film succeeds in its exploration of subculture, individuality and collective identity, from a feminist perspective.

To get this long-awaited doc over the line, Badgley ran a Kickstarter campaign in 2015. He’d already been working on the film for two years with executive producer Jennifer Shagawat, a pal of the band who ensured Here to Be Heard would reflect the last wishes of the late Ari Up, who passed away in 2010.

Published 22 Mar 2018

Tags: The Slits

Anticipation.

This one’s been a long time coming, so to speak.

Enjoyment.

The confused politics of (some) ’70s feminists has not aged well.

In Retrospect.

Tribute finally paid to our nasty foremothers.

Suggested For You

Janis: Little Girl Blue

By Sophie Monks Kaufman

The iconic American singer-songwriter gets a fitting tribute from doc heavyweights Amy Berg and Alex Gibney.

review LWLies Recommends

A brief guide to punks on film

By David Hayles

From Repo Man to the Class of 1984, here are seven memorable examples of anarchy on the big screen.

20,000 Days on Earth

By Adam Woodward

Personal feelings for Nick Cave will determine enjoyment of this self-indulgent rock doc.

review

Little White Lies Logo

About Little White Lies

Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a bi-monthly print magazine committed to championing great movies and the talented people who make them. Combining cutting-edge design, illustration and journalism, we’ve been described as being “at the vanguard of the independent publishing movement.” Our reviews feature a unique tripartite ranking system that captures the different aspects of the movie-going experience. We believe in Truth & Movies.

Editorial

Design