Sini Anderson (born November 6, 19??) is an American film director, producer, performance artist, choreographer, dancer and poet, from Chicago, Illinois.
Anderson is widely known for directing ''
The Punk Singer
''The Punk Singer'' is a 2013 documentary film about feminist singer Kathleen Hanna who fronted the bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre, and who was a central figure in the riot grrrl movement. Directed by filmmaker Sini Anderson and produced by An ...
'' (2013), a documentary about
riot grrrl
Riot grrrl is an underground feminist punk movement that began during the early 1990s within the United States in Olympia, Washington and the greater Pacific Northwest and has expanded to at least 26 other countries. Riot grrrl is a subcultur ...
musician
Kathleen Hanna
Kathleen Hanna (born November 12, 1968) is an American singer, musician, artist, feminist activist, pioneer of the feminist punk riot grrrl movement, and punk zine writer. In the early-to-mid-1990s she was the lead singer of feminist punk band B ...
's legacy and experience with late-stage
Lyme disease
Lyme disease, also known as Lyme borreliosis, is a vector-borne disease caused by the ''Borrelia'' bacterium, which is spread by ticks in the genus ''Ixodes''. The most common sign of infection is an expanding red rash, known as erythema migran ...
.
Early life in Chicago
Anderson did not attend high school or college.
As a young adult, she began her artistic career as a professional dancer, studying contemporary modern dance with the Chicago Dance Medium. After some years of performing as a professional dancer in Chicago, Anderson desired a voice beyond choreography and began to write. At age 22, Anderson performed the first spoken word piece she had ever written at the
Green Mill Cocktail Lounge
The Green Mill Cocktail Lounge (or Green Mill Jazz Club) is an entertainment venue on Broadway in Uptown, Chicago. It is known for its jazz and poetry performances, along with its connections to Chicago mob history.
History
Originally named Pop ...
in
Uptown, Chicago
Uptown is one of Chicago, Illinois’ 77 community areas. Uptown's boundaries are Foster Avenue on the north; Lake Michigan on the east; Montrose (Ravenswood to Clark), and Irving Park ( Clark Street to Lake Michigan) on the south; Ravenswood (F ...
, and won the slam for that evening. This was more than enough to encourage Anderson to fully delve into the Chicago poetry slam scene, prompting her to begin her own spoken word group called "The Words to Swallow Poets". Anderson continued to perform with The Words to Swallow Poets at local clubs and venues opening up for musical acts before moving to San Francisco.
San Francisco
Introduction to feminism
Anderson is incredibly outspoken about her particular brand of feminism, which is entirely peer-taught, punk rock, and non-exclusionary. Having not have had the opportunity to attend high school or college and take women's studies classes, San Francisco was Anderson's creative college in terms of the feminist punk art scene.
It was here in her early twenties that she first heard the phrase "feminist" and immersed herself into the works of feminist artists through zines and touring, falling in love with third wave feminism for its accessibility and protesting of popular culture.
She cites
Tammy Rae Carland
Tammy Rae Carland (born January 27, 1965), is a photographer, video artist, zine editor, current provost at California College of the Arts (CCA), and former co-owner of the independent lesbian music label Mr. Lady Records and Videos. Her work has ...
, Kathleen Hanna, and
Michelle Tea
Michelle Tea (born Michelle Tomasik, 1971) is an American author, poet, and literary arts organizer whose autobiographical works explore queer culture, feminism, race, class, sex work, and other topics. She is originally from Chelsea, Massachuset ...
as her greatest peer influences. Anderson has said that her view of feminism has evolved over time yet still remains built around art, friends, and community.
She has also said that vulnerability and a willingness to emote can be strengths rather than weaknesses for women, and are important aspects of feminism.
Sister Spit and Sister Spit's Ramblin' Road Show
Upon moving to San Francisco, Anderson was enraged by the massive sexism in the city's poetry slam scene. Within her first few months of living in San Francisco, Anderson became close friends with Michelle Tea, with whom she would co-create an all-girl weekly open mic series,
Sister Spit (1994–1997), and Sister Spit's Ramblin Road Show, a
spoken word
Spoken word refers to an oral poetic performance art that is based mainly on the poem as well as the performer's aesthetic qualities. It is a late 20th century continuation of an ancient oral artistic tradition that focuses on the aesthetics of ...
tour from 1997 to 2000.
Anderson and Tea performed in San Francisco for three years before they began Sister Spit's Rambling Road Show, in which they took ten other queer performers on the road with them across the country for three consecutive six-week national summer tours. Sister Spit released several albums including I Spit on Your Country (1997) on
Mercury Records
Mercury Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group. It had significant success as an independent operation in the 1940s and 1950s. Smash Records and Fontana Records were sub labels of Mercury. In the United States, it is ...
, Sister Spit's Ramblin Road Show (1998), Sister Spit's Ramblin Road Show (1999), Greatest Spits!: A Spoken Word Compilation (2001) on
Mr. Lady Records
Mr. Lady Records (or Mr. Lady Records and Video) was a San Francisco-based lesbian- feminist independent record label and video art distributor. (Press release of a 2001 art show at the Weisman Art Museum) Artists on the label included Le Tigre ...
and Tribe Spit Deep (2002). Her work is also found in The Outlaw Bible of American Poetry (ThunderMouth Press)
and Word Warriors: 35 Women Leaders in the Spoken Word Revolution (Seal Press).
Involvement in San Francisco's queer community
Anderson spent much of her career in San Francisco’s
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
community as Chief Curator/Artistic Director for The National Queer Arts Festival, a co-producer for the Nectar Stage at San Francisco's Pride, president of the board of directors for the Harvey Milk Institute, and co-chair of the board of directors for The Queer Cultural Center.
Career as an independent filmmaker
Anderson always knew she wanted to be a filmmaker, but didn't believe it was possible without film school. Nevertheless, Anderson's interest in the underground San Francisco film scene in the late 90s prompted her to work with other artists and assist first-time directors in making films. Anderson then began to make her own short films, incorporating video to go with her stage performances, becoming a
multimedia
Multimedia is a form of communication that uses a combination of different content forms such as text, audio, images, animations, or video into a single interactive presentation, in contrast to tradition ...
performance artist.
The making of ''The Punk Singer'' and Hanna's Lyme disease
Anderson and Hanna had known about each other as fellow artists for years, but it wasn't until mutual friend Tammy Rae Carland introduced the two at the Michigan Women's Music Festival in 2000 that the pair became friends. In 2009, family and friends grew increasingly worried about Hanna's deteriorating health.
Hanna had initially approached Anderson about directing the documentary ''Who Took the Bomp?'' (2010) for her band,
Le Tigre
Le Tigre (, ; French for "The Tiger") is an American electronic rock band formed by Kathleen Hanna (of Bikini Kill), Johanna Fateman and Sadie Benning in 1998 in New York City. Benning left in 2000 and was replaced by JD Samson for the rest ...
, but Anderson was more concerned with preserving the legacy of her career as a whole.
In the spirit of third wave feminism, Hanna agreed to have the documentary made only if Anderson would direct it; Hanna encouraged Anderson to make her first feature-length while Anderson encouraged Hanna to tell her story. Anderson has stated that it is important for people "to hear the deeper story of who
anna
Anna may refer to:
People Surname and given name
* Anna (name)
Mononym
* Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke
* Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773)
* Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century)
* Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...
is and where she came from, so that they could feel less alone."
Halfway through filming, Hanna was diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease.
The film initially was not about Hanna's Lyme disease.
Anderson's purpose of making the film was to tell the story of Hanna's participation in the riot grrrl movement and career in punk band
Bikini Kill
Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. The band pioneered the ...
through interviews conducted with Hanna's family and friends, and archival footage retrieved from personal archives.
The story evolved on its own, giving it entirely new purpose.
She has stated that Lyme disease is "such an isolating disease, quite often our own families don't even understand it."
Anderson feels that Hanna's willingness "to show the vulnerability" of her illness can "potentially be of service to other people".
Film release and reception
The film premiered in March 2013 at
SXSW
South by Southwest, abbreviated as SXSW and colloquially referred to as South By, is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Te ...
to positive reviews,
and proceeded to be released in 73 cities across America.
The film was distributed by IFC films.
Anderson's film has won numerous awards such as the Seattle International Film Festival's "Lena Sharpe Aware for Persistence of Vision, Women in Cinema" and Mexico City's Distrital International Film Festival's "Best First Feature Director" and "ARCA Best Director Award", and POV's Humanitarian Award in Media.
In May 2014,
BuzzFeed
BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ken ...
reported that some of the
Kickstarter
Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
backers of ''The Punk Singer'' did not get the items they paid for, including signed posters, sneak previews and tickets to a private screening. Anderson said that since the documentary was now owned by
IFC Films
IFC Films is an American film production and distribution company based in New York. It is an offshoot of IFC owned by AMC Networks. It distributes mainly independent films under its own name, select foreign films and documentaries under its S ...
, she was unable to provide sneak previews or private screenings.
Anderson's Lyme disease
Only six weeks after friend Kathleen Hanna's diagnosis of late stage Lyme disease, Anderson ended up in the hospital with signs of a possible heart attack or stroke, receiving an official diagnosis of late stage Lyme a month later.
At first, doctors told Anderson that there was nothing wrong with her, despite her getting more ill with every passing day.
Not wanting to complicate the story of ''The Punk Singer'' or detract the focus from Hannah's illness, Anderson was reluctant to admit publicly during the filming that she had been diagnosed as well.
As the making of the film went into post-production, Anderson grew more ill, ending up on an IV
PICC line
A peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC or PIC line), less commonly called a percutaneous indwelling central catheter, is a form of intravenous access that can be used for a prolonged period of time (e.g., for long chemotherapy regimens ...
as a means of receiving intravenous antibiotic treatments.
The treatments have strengthened Anderson's health and immune system, but today she still keeps a close watch for telltale signs of sickness, taking herbs and eating a healthy diet.
After ''The Punk Singer'' was made, Anderson learned of 17 other feminist queer artists in her inner-circle that had been diagnosed with late-stage Lyme disease as well.
Today, the number of diagnosed feminist queer artists that Anderson knows personally has grown to 75.
Other works and future products
Other independent film credits include first assistant director on Miggy n Lil (2006), Bare Knuckle (2007), Karma Calling (2009).
Directed the book trailer for the memoir Whip Smart by
Melissa Febos
Melissa Febos is an American writer and professor. She is the author of the critically acclaimed memoir, ''Whip Smart'' (2010)'','' and the essay collections, ''Abandon Me'' (2017) and ''Girlhood'' (2021)''.''
Early life and education
Febos grew u ...
,
which won Best Short Documentary
at the Fetisch Film Festival 2010.
Has directed numerous music videos including
Jolie Holland
Jolie Holland is an American singer and performer who combines elements of folk, traditional, country, rock, jazz, and blues.
Career
Growing up in Houston, Texas, Jolie left in 1994, moving to Austin, New Orleans, and San Francisco before en ...
's "All Those Girls" (2012),
Lovers' "Girl in the Grass" (2014),
and
Girlpool
Girlpool were an indie rock band from Los Angeles, California, formed by friends Avery Tucker and Harmony Tividad. Their debut self-titled EP ''Girlpool'' was released on Bandcamp in 2014 and re-released on Wichita Recordings later that year. The ...
's "Blah Blah Blah" (2014).
Has lectured at several universities across America such as Yale University,
Wesleyan University,
University of Pennsylvania,
Smith College,
Rutgers University, and Ohio Wesleyan.
''So Sick'' (2016)
Anderson is currently in production of her second feature-film, a documentary titled ''So Sick''.
The film is Anderson's vessel of exploring the epidemic of feminist artists, academics, and activists with late stage Lyme disease.
Personal life
Lived in San Francisco, California in her 20s,
and currently splits her time between
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York and Los Angeles, California.
Identifies as
queer
''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are not heterosexual or cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against those with same-sex desires or relationships in the late 19th century. Beginning in the lat ...
and lesbian.
See also
*
List of female film and television directors
This is a list of female film and television directors. Their works may include live action and/or animated features, shorts, documentaries, telemovies, TV programs, or videos.
A
* Jennifer Abbott (Canada)
* Sarah Abbott (Canada
* Jenni ...
*
List of lesbian filmmakers
This is a list of lesbian filmmakers. The names listed include directors, producers, and screenwriters of feature films, television movies, documentaries and short films; and have received coverage or been recognized in reliable, authoritative me ...
*
List of LGBT-related films directed by women
This is a list of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-related films that were directed by women. LGBT-themed films directed by women – especially, but not exclusively, lesbian-themed movies – are an important and distinct subset of the gen ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderson, Sini
Living people
1969 births
American women film directors
Lesbian artists
LGBT film directors
Artists from Chicago
Film directors from Illinois
LGBT people from Illinois
21st-century American women