Pauline Black: A 2 Tone Story
A
s lead vocalist of The Selecter, Pauline Black was a defining figure in the fusion of punk, mod-rock and ska that swept England in the late 1970s, a period marked by racism, social despair and the rise of the far right. Yet Pauline Black (a surname she chose for herself) had the voice, the attitude and the presence to stand her ground.
Growing up as a Black, adopted child in a white family in Essex, she experienced racism and sexism firsthand.
Jane Mingay's documentary examines the theme of anti-racism and the paradox at its heart: how a Black artist and her band, one of the pioneers of the 2 Tone movement, came to attract a following that partly drew from skinhead and neo-Nazi subcultures.
The Selecter fused punk energy with an unambiguous political message. Today, Pauline Black continues to carry that message, against racism, against sexism, as powerfully as ever.
This event is part of the SEE THE SOUND festival, organised in cooperation with Freedom Sounds Festival.
Following the screening, Pauline Black will join us for a Q&A.
Tickets are available at €8 (film only) or €12 as a combo with Daniel Rachel's book presentation.
Everyone is welcome to continue the evening at the aftershow party, featuring special DJ sets by Pauline Black and Daniel Rachel, hosted by Freedom Sounds Crew, at LOTTA, Kartäuserwall 12, 50678 Köln, starting at 22:00.
