Hot Docs 2008

"I like relationships and I like flesh" declared punk icon and one-time sex worker Kathy Acker when asked about cybersex. Called an outlaw writer by the New York Times, Acker was a contradictory figure. With her close-cropped hair, tattoos and piercings, she made SM and biting political satire part of her oeuvre. Her sexually explicit writing, which challenged assumptions of gender roles and sexuality, was banned in many countries. Barbara Caspar creatively captures Acker's life, from her wild early years in New York City to her untimely death from breast cancer in 1997. The film is filled with interviews with friends, figures from the era's punk world and young girls who speak about Acker's influence on them. There is also animation, graphic text and reenactments of her bestseller Blood and Guts in High School. Acker lived on her own terms till the very end. Caspar captures her spirit, her controversies and her ongoing influence on the riot grrrl scene.

Photo credit: KATHY BREW