POSITIVE FORCE: MORE THAN A WITNESS

Wednesday, April 6, 2016, 8:00 pm, $7-$10

POSITIVE FORCE: MORE THAN A WITNESS has been called “fascinating and inspirational” (The Washington Post) and “engrossing” (WAMU 88.5 Bandwidth). A review in The Guardian summarizes the film nicely:

“Positive Force: More Than a Witness examines the staunchly do-it-yourself ethos of the group, as well as its undersung role as a catalyst of Washington DC’s influential hardcore punk climate of the 1980s-90s – a fiery scene of breakneck guitars and political proselytizing that left imprints on Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine and other rockers in the mainstream. Frenetic live clips from the collective’s many concerts bandy off interviews with [Ian] MacKaye, Dave Grohl, Kathleen Hanna, Jello Biafra, Ted Leo and Laura Jane Grace, all of whom have played Positive Force gigs. It’s an impassioned, nervy, often contentious glimpse into a community of same.”

Punk activist collective Positive Force DC emerged in 1985, rising from the creative, politically-charged ferment of DC punk’s Revolution Summer. Born in a dynamic local scene sparked by Bad Brains, Minor Threat, and Rites of Spring, a handful of young activists also drew inspiration from UK anarcho-punks Crass and the original “Positive Force” band Seven Seconds to become one of the most long-lasting and influential exponents of punk politics.
This feature-length film by Robin Bell skillfully mixes rare archival footage (including electrifying live performances from Fugazi, Bikini Kill, Rites of Spring, Nation of Ulysses, Anti-Flag, and more) with new interviews of key PF activists including co-founder Mark Andersen (co-author of Dance of Days) and Jenny Toomey (Simple Machines, Tsunami) as well as supporters such as Ian MacKaye, Jello Biafra, Dave Grohl, Ted Leo, Riot Grrrl co-founders Allison Wolfe and Kathleen Hanna, and many more. Covering a span of 30 years, More Than a Witness documents PF’s Reagan-era origins, the creation of its communal house, FBI harassment, and the rise of a vibrant underground that burst into the mainstream amid controversy over both the means and the ends of the movement.
Through it all, Positive Force has persisted, remaining deeply rooted in their hometown, reaching out to those in need and building bridges between diverse communities, while regularly bringing punk protest to the front doors of the powers-that-be. Encompassing an ever-evolving cast of characters, the all-volunteer group has helped to nurture several generations of activists. In the best punk fashion, PF has applied creative DIY tactics and radical critiques to issues of homelessness, hunger, racism, corporate globalization, sexism, homophobia, war, gentrification, and animal/earth liberation, while struggling to constructively address conflicting dynamics and visions within the group itself.

Followed by a panel discussion with:

Meghan Adkins is an artist and musician (Special K, Mavis Piggott, Chaos of Birds) from Washington DC, currently living in Oakland. She is the Associate Producer of Salad Days; A Decade of Punk in Washington DC and attended many Positive Force events in the 80’s and 90’s.

Film director Robin Bell is an award-winning editor, video journalist, and multimedia artist based in Washington DC. He is the founder of Bell Visuals, where he and his team work on a range of political and public interest projects. Building upon his formal training as a classical printmaker, Robin is also known for his unique style of live video collage, which he has performed at well-known venues including the The Kennedy Center, 930 club, and the Phillips Collection in Washington DC, Central Park Center Stage in NYC, and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles California. Combining his commitment to social change through the dissemination of information via video, and his artistic vision as a live video artist, Robin co-produced Operation Ceasefire, a seminal anti-war concert on the national mall, in 2005. Prior to that, he collaborated with DJ Spooky on a live re-mix of the presidential election results in 2004 at the Black Cat nightclub in Washington DC.

Nicole Thomas is an Oakland-based drummer, cooking teacher, writer, and mother. She was active in the Washington, D.C. punk scene and played drums in Fire Party during the ’80s, Mavis Piggott in Seattle during the ’90s, and currently plays in Hard Left in Oakland. She has taught cooking to children at The Edible Schoolyard and Camp510. She also holds a dusty but occasionally useful law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law. She is currently working on a memoir about food, family, identity and music.

Artists' Television Access