Here to Be Heard tells the story of The Slits, the world's first all girl punk rock group, from their original formation during the pioneering days of punk rock in mid 70s London, through their individual stories of struggle, to the reformation of the band in 2005... a time period that ends in 2010 when singer Ari Up died of cancer while trying to make this film.
Films about the Sex Pistols and the Clash are ten a penny, but their post-punk progeny the Slits have always been under-represented. Teenage frontwoman (just 14 when the band formed) Ari Up's incendiary stage antics raised the most eyebrows, but guitarist Viv Albertine was the principal songwriter. And interest in the band was reinvigorated in 2014 when Albertine's autobiography Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys generated public and critical acclaim. Despite exclusive interviews with Albertine, drummer Palmolive and bassist Tessa Pollitt, this documentary fails to evoke the zeitgeist as vividly as Albertine's writing - admittedly a tall task. The background music frequently drowns out contributors' voices, while precious early footage is overlayed by annoyingly distracting typography, but if you can forgive these blemishes, this is still the singular story of a genuinely unique band.
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Ari Up | Ari Up |
| Viv Albertine | Viv Albertine |
| Palmolive | Palmolive |
| Tessa Pollitt | Tessa Pollitt |
| Hollie Cook | Hollie Cook |
| Dennis Bovell | Dennis Bovell |
| Don Letts | Don Letts |
| Paul Cook | Paul Cook |
| role | name |
|---|---|
| Director | William E Badgley |
