For the fourth episode of the original series “Young Masters”, NOWNESS CHINA travelled north to the barren and cold expanse of the Hulunbuir Grasslands in October 2022. There, the team met Angchinhuu, a budding horse trainer in her sophomore year of junior high. Described as a “girl like the wind”, Angchinhuu possesses qualities that are typical of teenage girls everywhere: she is restless, daydreams, and is hopeful. She is also exceptionally determined to carry on her family’s profession of training horses amidst the unforgiving grasslands, a remote terrain marked by severe weather conditions.
Celebrated skateboarder Leo Baker shares the details of their rise to fame and the clash between their career and self-discovery as a trans person.
Demasiado guapos para el punk
Several characters realize their personal way to build their own identity from the choice of genre. Transsexual, transgender, crossdressing – the defining of terminologies different ways of looking at yourself are constantly rising, portraying a universe of possibilities, expanding the boundaries of the possible and permitted.
Katie Couric travels across the U.S. to talk with scientists, psychologists, activists, authors and families about the complex issue of gender.
Indie rock icons the Archers of Loaf reunited in 2011, and during the course of their reunion tour played two legendary concerts at Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill, NC. Combining in-your-face concert footage along with rare interviews of the band, this film by director Gorman Bechard documents those concerts, and captures the excitement and explosive energy of what its like to see this extraordinary band perform live.
A Dutch documentary about the history of the anarchist punk band Crass. The film features archival footage of the band, and interviews with former members Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.
The Long Ryders, with bands such as The Bangles and The Three O' Clock, were key players in the Paisley Underground, a musical movement from the mid-1980s, combining the chiming folk rock of the 1960s with a psychedelic bent and a bit of punk attitude. The Long Ryders developed a cult following, becoming college radio favorite. This presentation finds frontman Sid Griffin and his band performing at the Roxy in Los Angeles in February of 1986.
Experience the Pistols' rise to global infamy with an honest, insightful account of a group of malcontents, determined to change the music business and to attack hypocrisy and stale conventions in society at large. Based off the novel written by Glen Matlock, one of the founding members of the Sex Pistols who co-wrote ten of twelve iconic songs on their only studio album, NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS. Glen describes in detail the mindset of the UK in the early 70's and divulges a mine of information; Steve's thievery, Wally Nightingale, the search for a singer, the exploding punk scene and a bleak backdrop providing a contrast to the excitement and energy of McLaren's shop. The public will now have a chance to hear the story, not just from a member of the band, but also from a man who had his contributions exceptionally downplayed.
Inspired by Steven Blush's book "American Hardcore: A tribal history" Paul Rachman's feature documentary debut is a chronicle of the underground hardcore punk years from 1979 to 1986. Interviews and rare live footage from artists such as Black Flag, Bad Brains, Minor Threat, SS Decontrol and the Dead Kennedys.
A rather incoherent post-breakup Sex Pistols "documentary", told from the point of view of Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren, whose (arguable) position is that the Sex Pistols in particular and punk rock in general were an elaborate scam perpetrated by him in order to make "a million pounds."
Directed by Jacob Miguel, "PUNK ROCK LOTTERY" embarks on a mission to capture the rapid growth of an annual event known as "The Punk Rock Lottery" in Austin, Texas. What sets this film apart is its self-awareness, playfully breaking the fourth wall and transforming into an immersive journey through history and the creative process. The narrative builds its foundation by featuring insights from punk legends and influential figures who helped shape both the film and Austin itself. As the story unfolds, it delves into the heart of the project as Jacob actively participates in the event, offering an inside look at the frenetic pace of life in a band. Through the experiences of over 30 characters, the film uncovers universal truths about creativity, camaraderie, and the struggles inherent in pursuing one's artistic passion.
The death of punk icon and X-Ray Spex front-woman Poly Styrene sends her daughter on a journey through her mother's archives in this intimate documentary.
Documentary on the recording of the Album Una vez iniciado el fuego by Sakatumba
Formed in 1979 in Wichita, Kansas, the so-called "blister pop" band the Embarrassment played major U.S. cities and garnered praise from the likes of Allen Ginsberg, John Cale and Jonathan Demme, but their refusal to compromise their vision made success elusive. Through archival interviews and concert footage, this documentary draws a portrait of the oft-overlooked post-punk legends.
Exploring how punk influenced politics in late-1970s Britain, when a group of artists united to take on the National Front, armed only with a fanzine and a love of music.
Ray Cappo lead singer of the straightedge hardcore band Youth of Today at the height of their growing popularity, leaves the band and goes to India. Ray becomes the monk Raghunath. What follows is the confluence of two worlds coming together. Hardcore punk and spirituality. Something Divine is a pilgrimage through the holy cites of India and concert halls in America. The film highlights the connection between people of very different backgrounds coming together through self-discovery, spirituality, music, the desire to grow and transform themselves personally.
Street art, creativity and revolution collide in this beautifully shot film about art’s ability to create change. The story opens on the politically charged Thailand/Burma border at the first school teaching street art as a form of non-violent struggle. The film follows two young girls (Romi & Yi-Yi) who have escaped 50 years of civil war in Burma to pursue an arts education in Thailand. Under the threat of imprisonment and torture, the girls use spray paint and stencils to create images in public spaces to let people know the truth behind Burma's transition toward "artificial democracy." Eighty-two hundred miles away, artist Shepard Fairey is painting a 30’ mural of a Burmese monk for the same reasons and in support of the students' struggle in Burma. As these stories are inter-cut, the film connects these seemingly unrelated characters around the concept of using art as a weapon for change.
GREEN BLAH! takes a comprehensive look at the history of the first ten years plus of Green Bay punk rock, hardcore and independent music from the eyes of those who participated and made the scene what it was and is today.
Following the release of Bérurier Noir's album "Concerto pour détraqués" on the Bondage label in 1985, the French punk scene began to organize itself and attract media attention. Following Bondage's example, François Hadji Lazaro founded the Boucherie Production label. The departure of bands to major companies, Bérurier Noir's lawsuit against its label Bondage, and above all the breakup of the band marked the end of an era.