rooted
The story of two black leaders who transformed a long neglected stretch of San Francisco city land, and the community that grew out of their garden.
Arne Johnson and Shane King made the documentary Girls Rock!, which played theatrically in over 90 cities (as well as dozens of festivals), and is now available streaming online and broadcast in select countries.
At Rock ‘n’ Roll Camp, girls ranging in age from eight to 18 are taught that it’s OK to sweat like a pig, scream like a banshee, wail on their instruments with complete and utter abandon, and that “it is 100% okay to be exactly who you are.”
The film follows several campers including Laura, a Korean adoptee obsessed by death metal; Misty, who is emerging from a life of meth addiction, homelessness and gang activity; and Amelia, an eight-year-old who writes experimental rock songs about her dog Pipi. What happens to the girls as they are given a temporary reprieve from being sexualized, analyzed and pressured to conform is truly moving and revolutionary.