The Punk Singer is a well done documentary film about
Kathleen Hanna: singer, songwriter, musician and activist for the rock bands
Bikini Kill, Le Tigre and The Julie Ruin. The film is quite an intimate profile
of her life, following her from an unhappy childhood (abuse is hinted at, but
never explored) to college where she tried to spread a feminist message through
spoken word and poetry. After a professor sits her down and says the only way
people are going to listen to you is in a band she finds three fellow
travellers and Bikini Kill is born. There is some great footage of this
legendary band on stage with Hanna’s explosive energy and fearlessness standing
up for women in the audience as a singer and also as a behind the scenes
activist developing ‘zines and working ferociously for women’s rights. After
Bikini Kill broke up, she moved into electronic music much like John Lydon did
when he formed Public Image Limited after the Sex Pistols imploded. The band
she formed, Le Tigre was still a high energy outfit, they released three albums
and toured widely before Hanna became very sick and had to leave the band. This
is the most poignant part of the movie where Hanna and her friends and family
(there are great interviews with critics and musicians through the film)
discuss the hardest part of that period,
Hanna had taken a “leave of absence” from music and nobody, let alone her knew
what was wrong. Doctors mis-diagnose several times before finally discovering
the truth: late stage lyme disease. And the cure is almost worse than the
disease, leaving her housebound, weak and depressed. But the movie ends on a
high note, with her disease is in remission she and her latest band, The Julie
Ruin, were able to play a set a nightlong celebration of her music and the
multi-generational positive effect she has had in empowering women worldwide. 
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