Katrina del Mar's Blog

Girl Gang Trilogy screening in Iceland

katrinadelmar — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:34:03 +0000

hold on babies…Gang Girls 2000, Surf Gang & Hell on Wheels Gang Girls Forever aka The Girl Gang Trilogy is coming to the land of the ice and snow! From the midnight sun where the hot springs blow! The Icelandic Premiere of these groundbreaking, pavement shaking, hip swingin films will be at the Bio Paradis Wednesday, January 25 @ 8pm.
As the director of these films, I will be present at the screening for a Q&A!
Part two of my northern lights tour, after a smashing time in Copenhagen.

That Perfect Moment. Surf Blackout by Katrina del Mar

katrinadelmar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 07:16:34 +0000

THAT. PERFECT. MOMENT.

Originally published July 2011 in the Bluegrass Special
“A prominent New York City surfer–they do exist–reflects on ‘the indescribable high I hope to chase until I die.’”

Katrina del Mar, in her element. photo by Sarah Greenwood

‘…the indescribable high I hope to chase until I die’

By Katrina del Mar

I know addiction.

It’s a force beyond reason, the compulsion is absolute and I am happily enslaved to its demands. I physically labor to serve it until I’m too tired to function.

I push off onto this surface, which is blue-green and in motion. It’s moving me and every other thought disappears.

When I’m trying to catch up to this moving force, this wave, it makes me pull with all my might like I’m trying to save a baby, like I need it to survive.

When I’m paddling out on a big day, I am sometimes literally swimming with all my might just to save my own life, and every other thought disappears.

For a busy brain this relief, this “no thought, no past, no future” is a rare and priceless gift. And it’s the high I keep coming back for.

My first day surfing seemed so innocuous but it ended with a prophecy. I had been filming a friend, this artist guy with blond dreadlocks who surfed. He got out of the water to rest.

He said, “Do you wanna try it?”

I said, “Yeah!”

I didn’t get a lesson. I don’t think he even told me what to do, apart from helping to attach the leash to my ankle. I grabbed his board and ran into the water. I made a running leap, like I saw him do, like I’ve seen in the movies. I threw myself onto the board and paddled out. I could barely sit on the board, let alone catch a wave, but I made a few reckless attempts. He said, when I came back to the beach all dripping, cold, happy, smiling; he said, “You’re a lifer.”

I thought he was joking. Now I knew he meant it.

That was 8 years ago. 3 or 4 boards ago. Three wetsuits ago.

Katrina surfs Rockaway December 2011 photo by Elisa Bates

Dennis is his name. He gave me an old longboard to use, an old faded RonJon with an altered, glassed-in fin.

That first year, I only went out when the waves were big. I was ignorant. I didn’t know it was possible to surf on smaller days. I was stupid, brave, terrified.

The certainty of “I will die, oh my god, I will die, if I don’t pull with all my might” replaced all of my other petty thoughts and concerns and I felt the gorgeous freedom that the present moment, flushed with adrenaline, can bestow.

I was the kook out there trying to stay out of your way. Mostly I was successful.

I learned how to surf by doing it and by surfing with friends. Saul. Dennis. Jerry. Simon. Jeanine. Each of them taught me the etiquette, the tricks to survive, how to duck dive, turtle roll, when to ditch the board and swim for your life, how not to ditch the board when you wipe out, how to surf without a leash, how to stay out of people’s way, how to claim your wave. How not to be a kook. Simon told me, “You’re not a kook, you’re a beginner.” And the difference, as I understand it, is not only in action (don’t drop in. especially don’t drop in, wipe out and ditch your board.) but in attitude. Humility. Awareness of others.

Simon told me, “The best surfer out here is the one having the most fun.”

RonJon, Rockaway. photo by Katrina del Mar

After many, many day trips to Rockaway, evening trips to Long Beach, weekend trips to Montauk, trips up and down my New York City stairs (four flights); after a surf trip to Hawaii, a surf trip to Costa Rica, I’m fitter, stronger, happier and I feel like finally I’m getting it.

Today I surfed Beach 67th in Rockaway. In my opinion, this was New York City surfing at its best: it’s a hot summer day, with cool, clear, blue-green water, (It’s NYC, folks, trust me when I tell you, sometimes the water ain’t all that clear), nice 2-3 foot waves, two good girlfriends. The water felt delicious. I caught a bunch of waves.

What’s funny is, after each ride, after I’d say to my friend, “Did you see that?” And then I would recount the brief story of the ride. But then I would try to remember the take off. And I’d have a moment of wonder, tilting my head like a dog hearing a queer sound. I realized, just today, that I can’t quite remember taking off on the wave. It seems I have a tiny blackout.

I can remember how it ends but not how it begins.

I figure each takeoff is a precious present moment so fully engorged with life that it must erase future memory. It only can exist at That. Perfect. Moment.

It’s the indescribable high I hope to chase until I die.

Golden Surf, Rockaway photo by Katrina del Mar

Warehouse 9 Copenhagen

katrinadelmar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 06:46:52 +0000

I’m going to Copenhagen this week to show a slew of images from deep in my archives. I’ve been digging through pre-millenium slides, negatives, film, video and prints seeking images of live performances for the show On the Edge of Society: Moments in Live Art to be presented at Warehouse 9 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The show opens Jan 20 with an Artists Talk with me (live in person) Yoshiko Shimada and art historian Alice Maud Roxby

Katrina del Mar & Dona Ann McAdams (US) present a series of films and photographs from the Golden Age of Performance Art (1988-2000) and discuss their impact on art history.

For the first time ever in Scandinavia, two prominent American women photographers, Dona Ann McAdams and Katrina del Mar, will be presenting an exhibition from their archives of their time documenting the brutal underground world of New York City’s performance artists during the politically unstable period 1988-2000.

Kembra Pfahler in her room. photo by Katrina del Mar

Remembering Chloe Dzubilo by Katrina del Mar

katrinadelmar — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 21:23:58 +0000

I met Chloe Dzubilo for the first time at Blacklips Performance Cult at Pyramid Club
the night they staged her play “Vagina.” I found it to be a hilarious, mystical and transformative piece, beautiful and transgressive all at once. Chloe herself was beautiful and transgressive, mystical and hilarious. We became famous friends in blue walled dingy basements, in various apartments, parks and diners. Once, at brunch, really early in our friendship I witnessed a healing between Chloe and her father. She shared that intimate moment with me and she cried. I felt like I’d found a sister. I would call her when I was freaking out; with compassion and humor, she would talk me through.

I photographed Chloe a lot. With her band, with lovers, with friends who looked like her, with her dog, alone, nude, clothed, with writing on her body: “precious diva” “family” “love tummy.”

Jayne County & Chloe Dzubilo perform at Squeezebox, Don Hill's NYC

When I finally decided to make a film, she had to be in it. It was a girl gang movie. “Gang Girls 2000″ Betsy came up with the gang name, Blades, I elaborated to the Famous Blades of Chinatown, prompted by the freely given use of Chloe’s Chinatown apartment as the gang headquarters. Chloe was to play the leader of the gang. I said, “what should your gang name be?” She didn’t hesitate. “Transella Coutorture,” she replied.

She called me from the hospital a few weeks into the shooting; she said, “Katrina, we should shoot a scene for your movie here. I just got surgery I have this huge scar. We can say I got cut in a gang fight!” We rushed over, all the Famous Blades, and wrote the scene on the spot. Nan Goldin was supposed to come shoot her that day but Chloe pushed Nan off for me and I felt like I meant something to somebody for once. She was supportive of my vision, and that meant the world to me.

I helped Chloe with groceries. I visited her in the hospital. When we had places out of town we would invite her up, or she would invite herself! She loved nature and horses. Weekends in the Catskills, weeks in the Hamptons, road trips to Florida. We would ride in the car singing along with Patti Smith at the top of our lungs. Chloe let me know how grateful she was to have holidays out of town; she made sure I knew that I was doing her a great service.

Chloe & Nicolette, Road Trip to Florida

Her fight for trans rights and for the rights of people with AIDS is well documented. I was proud of my friend who would go into police precincts to teach the cops how to treat trans people well. She started an equestrian riding program for at-risk youth called Equi-Aid. She would tell me the only time she wasn’t in pain was when she was riding horses. Or when she was helping someone and being of service.

She resisted taking the HIV meds, for the longest time. She was doing holistic healing, no white sugar or wheat, herbs. Eventually she went on the meds and she struggled with those all throughout the rest of her life. She told me the aids meds made her bones brittle. She broke her back falling off a horse, which I knew broke her heart a little as well. But she came over in her back brace, which she had painted gold and decorated with rhinestones, and we made a portrait of this amazon warrior. The brace had become proud armor, the emblem of her love of life and of the ongoing battle against a healthcare system that was failing her.

That’s the strongest part, the beauty in simple transformation. She held the power of a humble goddess who could take a cracked and broken thing and make a beautiful other thing out of it. Male to female, she embraced the trans in transgender, the in-betweens, the crack between the worlds, the class schism. Making light of welfare level poverty by wearing Gucci to the welfare office. Chloe reveled in that, with an irreverent glee.

I feel Chloe offered me a great education in compassion, and in facing death and illness with grace, and in the spirit of service.

Chloe was always a little tangential in conversations, she riffed like jazz and you just had to nod and smile; but after the pain meds came in, she was way off the page. I’d stand there thinking, and finally saying, “Honey, I love you but I have no idea what you’re talking about.” It’s important to know that this was because of her meds, which, increasingly, were coming in pernicious combinations. When she was hospitalized in June of ‘10, we thought maybe it was the end, because she was acting really deranged. But a few weeks later, she was out and more clear and lucid than she’d been in years. She’d gotten off the pain meds and it seemed like things were on the upswing.

By winter of that year she curated the Transeuphoria gallery show on east 9th street and we all went. It was an amazing moment for all of us, the room crackled with excitement and love. I was so happy and proud to see her accomplishment, her visceral, confrontational and often hilarious art. The art of her partner T, the paintings of Siobhan all were instructive to me, I felt like I was invited in.

She had reached out to me and often I wasn’t there for her. Everyone said this in the days and weeks after her death. It came as a shock to me, even though over all these 17 years there was always a consciousness of her mortality. People were and are still dying of AIDS. In her case, the combinations of medications made her very ill, and she simply couldn’t handle it in the end.

In February, I found out from Alice that things got really bad. Alice asked me if she could bring Chloe over to my place after she got out of the hospital so she could just be in my living room with loving people around. I said of course. My home has been a sanctuary many times; and it’s where we’ve had many a gathering including a few queer Thanksgivings. Alice later texted or called to say Chloe wanted to come but didn’t think she could manage the stairs.

She died a few days later. I got a call from Alice about it; in her typical dry style she gave me the news. Alice was in a state of shock, I could tell the emotions hadn’t hit. I was stunned. I reached out to Betsy, who immediately, untypically, burst into tears. I called Anthony, and Rita. We all gathered at Antony’s place that night to meet and talk. T, Kembra, Kelly, Rita, Alice, Betsy, Ned, Viva. Artist witches, recovering addicts, queers: a beautiful family of self-created phoenixes. We centered around love for Chloe whether we had been friends or lovers, mentor or the mentored. We talked about honoring her. We cried.

Chloe’s memorial service, her CeleVation, was organized around and by this group. It’s strange to say that a memorial could be viewed as good experience. But I think many people felt this way. It was truly one of the best experiences of my life. Judson Church was filled, overflowing with people who had known and loved Chloe. Viva was the high priestess, elected by acclaim by the rest of us. Many people performed. Betsy compiled and read the instant messages Chloe had written and we heard Chloe talk to us in her style. It made us all laugh. I compiled a video, and we together witnessed the early days, the more lucid version her. Alice compiled the photos. Antony sang. T sang. Gifts were given to organizations that help queer kids and people with AIDS.

It was a collective, thoughtful, anarchic, goddess-driven process that worked.

Many people said they felt Chloe was definitely there and loving every moment. The room was filled with love. Puma took a picture of me while I videotaped and an orb appears right at my ear. I say the spirits were moving.

This December 5th 2011 would have been Chloe’s 51st Birthday.

Click to view slideshow.

SURF GANG to screen at Filmmakers Cooperative Summer Cinema Salon

katrinadelmar — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 16:26:26 +0000

My film SURF GANG will screen Saturday June 11 8pm at Filmmakers Cooperative Summer Cinema Salon in legendary arts garden Le Petit Versailles. East 2nd St near Avenue C, NYC.

think Goodfellas meets Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!

think Grey Gardens meets The Warriors.

Think Mel Brooks meets Russ Meyer and bites off Dog Town and Zboys. Think Blue Crush: lose the lame story, add hot cast from Gang Girls 2000.

A gang of urban surfer girls leaves its home break and runs a course of chaotic violence until a call comes in from the other side.

Starring former ABT Ballerina Nicolette Nolan, Kembra Pfahler, Andrea Purcigliotti. filmed in Rockaway Beach, NYC, Southampton, East Hampton and Montauk.

Surf Gang won the NYFA Fellowship in Video and Best Experimental Film, Planet Out Short Movie Awards and was screened at the Museum of Contemporaray Art CAPC Museum, in Bordeaux, France
Here is the trailer, edited by Melissa Huffsmith Roth

Movie Screening: HELL ON WHEELS GANG GIRLS FOREVER, NYC April 16

katrinadelmar — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 16:28:52 +0000

Movie Screening: HELL ON WHEELS GANG GIRLS FOREVER

Hey New York, if you missed this movie’s SOLD OUT, STANDING ROOM ONLY Premiere last year, come see it Saturday April 16th in New York City!
Two screenings: 8pm and 10 pm! Saturday April 16th

Tickets only $7

Bar 82 136 2nd Avenue between St Mark’s Place and 9th Street NYC

http://www.bar82nyc.com (212) 228-8636

Trains: 6 to Astor Place / N,R to 8th Street

MORE INFO:

If you missed this movie’s SOLD OUT, STANDING ROOM ONLY Premiere last year, come see it NOW in New York City!

Director Katrina del Mar will be present, and will be selling DVD’s of this INSTANT CULT CLASSIC

Katrina del Mar presents HELL ON WHEELS GANG GIRLS FOREVER the award-winning* girl gang movie that winds up her cult classic girl-gang trilogy! Burning up the dirty streets and blazing down the pavement, everything is all wheels all the time. Dyslexic Bikers, Homeless Queer Skateboarders, Violent Rollerskaters, Scooter riders with Gambling Parlors and HotRods for the Differently Abled! A Superlong Roster of Sizzling Superstars and a soundtrack of pure poprock bliss.

Hell on Wheels Gang Girls Forever directed by Katrina del Mar production still l-r Jessica Templin, Sarah Greenwood, Betsy Todd, Dolinda Meeker, Meredith Miller

SYNOPSIS: Brooklyn girl gang member Krank, after being shot in a mysterious guinea pig lab rescue incident, comes home from the hospital in a wheelchair to find her cats are gone, her mother is still insane and her gang is kicking her out. She turns to her best friend, the Mechanic, who gives her a pep talk and offers to turn her heap of crap wheelchair into a hot rod. Krank then joins the Outcasts, NYC girl gang wheel riders with a twist. The Outcasts are lead by Krash, a dyslexic cyclist who can only cycle backwards. The other girls in the gang have strange maladies such as Height Dysphoria and French Monotonism. Sparks fly between Krank and the upside-down skateboarder, Flip and clearly, Krank is ready to ride again. Meanwhile, the E. V. Ills, a violent roller derby gang led by C-Roll, tear up the track and dance the night away; the Slayers, homeless queer girl skateboarders panhandle and fish for crabs in New York City’s East River; and the Full Tilts ride scooters and run numbers in the city’s only Roller Disco Betting Parlor.

*Accolade Award of Merit Best Experimental Film 2010
Hell on Wheels IN THE NEWS!
TimeOut NY Hell on Wheels Hits the Screen “If you’re tooling around the city in the next few days and happen to catch a glimpse of raven-haired, septum-ringed photographer-turned-filmmaker Katrina del Mar, don’t be surprised if she’s got a mob of equally badass girls in tow. That’d be the massive cast of her latest short, “Hell on Wheels: Gang Girls Forever,” which she’s filming in parks and on street corners throughout Williamsburg and the Lower East Side, practically up until the moment of this week’s premiere.” -Beth Greenfield, TimeOut NYLIKE IT ON FACEBOOK:

http://www.facebook.com/pa ges/Hell-on-Wheels-Gang-Gi rls-Forever/12696295071071 7

RSVP via Facebook Event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=213567375320052
Check out the PRESS:

TIME OUT NY

http://newyork.timeout.com /arts-culture/gay-lesbian/50495/hell-on-wheels-hits-the-screen
PAPER MAG
http://www.papermag.com/2010/07/gorgeous_girl_gangs_invade_ind.php

BUST

http://bust.com/blog/2010/07/02/hell-on-wheels-sold-out-nyc-debut.html
CURVE
http://www.katrinadelmar.com/_1curve.htm http://ganggirlsforever.com/

katrinadelmar — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 06:29:07 +0000

Hell On Wheels Gang Girls Forever this weekend: NYC and INDIANAPOLIS!

LAST MINUTE NYC SCREENING ADDED

NYC November 14, 2010 4pm Webster Hall. NYC Film Collection Curated by Jim Muscarella of Royal Flush Film Festival hosted by Quarterly Arts Soiree @ Webster Hall

Indianapolis November 12-14 2010 Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival at Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Director & some cast members will be present! Screenings co-presented with the local Indianapolis Roller Derby Team the Naptown Roller Girls

Hell On Wheels Gang Girls Forever IS GETTING RAVE REVIEWS AND GREAT PRESS

“Ladies Start Your Engines!” Curve Magazine Feature Article by Kat Long

“Hell on Wheels Sold Out NYC Debut” Bust Magazine Review by Jodi SH Doff

“Katrina del Mar on Her Gorgeous Girl Gangs” Paper Mag interview with Katrina by Peter Davis

“Katrina del Mar maker of raunchy grrl biker film Hell on Wheels tells us how it is” The Most Cake, UK interview by Petit Fours

Making a film in two days

katrinadelmar — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:03:23 +0000

I had the pleasure to conduct the first ever “Queer feminist Trash Film Workshop with Katrina del Mar” at the University of the Arts (Hochschule für Künste Bremen) in Bremen, Germany organized by Daniela Wustenberg, co-organizer & curator of the Queerfilm Festival of Bremen.

In two days, the participants in the film workshop wrote, shot, edited and publicly screened a short film.

Senya & Ray Dee as Runaway & Sailorboy

On the first day, Daniela introduced me to the class of about 15 students and artists. I explained how my films get made and showed some excerpts. I talked about influences and some of the motifs of trash films, guerilla filmmaking, D.I.Y. sensibility and the pure hype sensationalism of B-Movies. Everyone then introduced themselves and gave a list of any special talents or skills they might have (these included law, screenprinting, tattooing, kung fu, theater, performance, costume design, graphic design, photography and music). Then everyone indicated whether they preferred to act on camera or be crew.

We then set to work collectively writing a story based on the participants skills and desires and the locations and props available to us within the area.

What we had around the workshop actually proved to be pretty astounding. There was a circus nearby. And a harbor. And a carnival. We had willing and talented actors and an amazing abundance of creative ideas.

The story was written before lunch, and at lunch people went home to get costumes and props while I stayed on and quickly sketched out storyboards.

After lunch, we split into two groups; one for interiors and one smaller group filmed exteriors. We finished shooting at about 6pm. A few of us reconvened later in the evening to film scenes at the local carnival.

Eike & Annie at the Freimaak Carnival

The next day we split into groups again. The one student who knew Final Cut Pro started editing, others continued filming while others began working on poster designs based on still photos taken the day before. We also settled on a title for the film, “Runaway & Sailorboy” (although “Sinister Circus” was a close runner up)

I then joined in the editing room and helped to edit down a rough cut as shooting continued.

We screened a rough cut of the movie the same night, after the “Night of the Gang Girls” film screening at Kino 46.

Still Photos from “Runaway & Sailor Boy” (aka Sinister Circus) a short film written, produced, shot edited and publicly screened (rough cut) in two days (!!!) by the participants of the Queer feminist Trash Film Workshop with Katrina del Mar at the Hochschule der Künste Bremen / Academy of Fine Arts Bremen
With help from the Rosa-Luxemburg-Initiative Bremen and masterminded by Hank Bobbit aka Daniela Wusterberg & Elianna Satanowskowa

Click to view slideshow.

Katrina del Mar Girl Gang Trilogy SCREENINGS & FILM WORKSHOPS ANNOUNCED

katrinadelmar — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 18:38:12 +0000

Queer Feminist Trash FILM WORKSHOP with KATRINA DEL MAR

it’s free but you gotta come to Bremen!

October 15-16 Hochschule der Künste Bremen / Academy of Fine Arts Bremen

Am Speicher XI Nr. 8

http://www.rosa-luxemburg.info/veranstaltung/2010/queerfeministischer-filmworkshop-mit-der-new-yorker-filmemacherin-katrina-del-mar/

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=123612424358971&ref=mf

UPCOMING SCREENINGS:

Bremen October 16, 2010, Saturday 10:30PM. The 17th Bremen Queer Film Festival at Kino 46
also showing: “Gang Girls 2000″, “A Beautiful Death” & “Punchin & Cussin” and other short films!
There will be a Q&A after the films with the director.

Berlin Tuesday, October 19, 2010 8:30pm SILVERFUTURE
also showing: “Gang Girls 2000″ & “SURF GANG” and other short films!
There will be a Q&A after the films with the director.
20h30 weserstr, 206/ U8 + U7 Hermannplatz
RSVP via the facebook event here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=136458093068515&ref=mf

Berlin Wednesday, October 20, 2010 8:30pm FAB LAB
also showing: “Gang Girls 2000″ & “SURF GANG” and other short films!
The director will be present.
20h30 Muskauer Str. 49 / close to Lausitzer Platz / U1 Gšrlitzer Bahnhof

Hamburg Saturday, October 23, 2010 10:30pm Lesbisch Schwule Filmtage Hamburg
also showing: “Gang Girls 2000″ & “SURF GANG” and other short films!
There will be a Q&A after the films with the director.

Katrina nominated for Prestigious RHM foundation Grant

katrinadelmar — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 12:33:48 +0000

Katrina del Mar is among a group of artists nominated for the prestigious Rema Hort Mann Foundation Grant

http://rhmfoundation.org/collect/index.php/selection/web-nominee/41-katrina/

The Rema Hort Mann Foundation was created in September 1995 by friends and family of Rema Hort Mann to honor her joyful and vivacious life after her untimely death from stomach cancer at age 30.The Foundation was born around a kitchen table with the intent to celebrate Rema’s life. Through the efforts of friends and associates, it has evolved into a dynamic and effective organization, acting as an advocate for emerging artists and a bedrock of support for individuals suffering from cancer. To carry out these goals, we offer unrestricted grants, by nomination only, to promising artists who demonstrate an ability and commitment to making substantial contributions to the arts, but require financial support to do so. And we provide grants for travel, accommodations, child care and related expenses to help strengthen the emotional and familial support for cancer patients while they are undergoing treatment.

Combining these two missions is our way of commemorating Rema’s life and upholding the passions closest to her heart.

The Rema Hort Mann Foundation was created in September 1995 by friends and family of Rema Hort Mann to honor her joyful and vivacious life after her untimely death from stomach cancer at age 30.