Misiz Magazine by Irene Saavedra

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MISIZ MAGAZINE ISSUE NO. 01 FALL/WINTER â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;14

MISIZ Magazine is a bi-annual print publication exploring women in the art, film and music scene. Our job is to create a publication for young girls and women to feel inspired through the women we feature so that they may aspire to work towards a career they truly love regardless of the of gender boundaries society has accumulated through time. This by all means is not only a magazine for women. Anyone should pick up an issue in celebration of the women who break the mold. Each issue focuses on one of three themes: reversal, distortion or anamoly. Throughout the publication, the themes continue revolving around the the main topic previously stated. Sincerely, Irene (Founder, MISIZ Magazine)

CONTENTS

Featured Photographer: Chen Man

Boychild Speaks Perfomance Art Writer: Allison Valle Photograher: Francisco Concha

Featured Photographer: Amanda Jasnowski

Joan Jett: Queen of Noise Writer:Nicole Mujica Photograher: Carlos Ontiveros

Featured Photographer: Kirsty Mitchell

Celine Schiamma on Tomboy Writer: Gaby Martinez Photograher: Fransisco Concha

Featured Photographer: Melanie Bonajo

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

CHEN MAN Chen Man is a Chinese Photographer, born in Beijing , who is rightly regarded as the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Starâ&#x20AC;? of Fashion Photography in China. Still only 28 years old, she has already shot a host of front covers for high profile fashion magazines. Young and gifted, she has developed her own style, distinguished by its fabulous colours, the silky complexions and exaggerated make-up of her models and her fresh and masterful use of 3D technology all of which make her images unique creations. Her work has attracted constant praise from fellow professionals.

CHEN MAN

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

CHEN MAN

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

CHEN MAN

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

CHEN MAN

BOYCHILD

“This character has been brewing my whole life,” says performance artist boychild of her haunting stage persona. “It’s not an alternate personality—it’s an outlet for expression. I go somewhere else when I’m performing.” And she’s getting there fast. The California native got her start less than two years ago in San Francisco’s thriving drag scene, though labeling her performance as simply drag doesn’t do it justice. On stage, boychild transforms into a raw, powerful, and genderless alien entity whose muscular body shudders and contorts as if operated by a hidden puppeteer. Her eyes are often disguised by colored contact lenses; her mouth glows from the inside as she dances to dark electronic tracks or lip-synchs to remixes of Beyoncé and Rihanna. It’s no wonder Shayne Oliver, the designer of streetwear label Hood By Air, approached her to model for the brand. Fast forward to February 2013, during New York Fashion Week, when Hood By Air made serious waves with a collection titled “Boychild,” in which the eponymous muse walked the runway, even outshining fellow celebrity model A$AP Rocky. But nothing, not even the glamour of fashion, speaks to her like performance. “The act of performing feels like when you’re coming off mushrooms: you’re burned-out, but also very at peace,” she says. “You’re somewhere outside yourself. It’s like exhaling.”

BOYCHILD TALKS PERFORMANCE ART

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How’d you start performing? Who is boychild? My friend is an incredible dancer and he was studying for his masters in Berlin. He created this project and invited people to give birth to a character they had developed themselves. At this stage I had never performed or even thought about performing. I was a photographer. I somehow knew that I wanted my character to be a clown but also a kind of… healer. So I started doing all this research into the ways that clowns functioned in non-western cultures, medicine men, shamans, witches. Those figures were suddenly interchangeable in my mind. To me it makes sense that clowns in a community might use humour and knowledge (magic) in a very cunning way to heal those around them. The thesis performance eventually got cancelled, but I had hundreds of sketches of this character, her development had begun. Boychild’s physicality was then birthed, nurtured and inspired by the drag scene in San Francisco, specifically by a performer named Dia Dear. I actually started in the drag scene in San Francisco. I started performing in drag spaces about a year and a half ago. I was terribly nervous. I was like, “There’s no way I’m getting on a stage”. There’s no fucking way because I get so nervous.

who’s a dancer who wanted me to perform in Berlin with him that he choreographed, and I started developing this character for that last May. I realize that that’s kind of the thing that boychild is now.

Was there some new power or something in particular that drew you into performing? I feel like I can express myself and speak a language with my body that I can’t with words. The drawings are my way of putting my thoughts down on paperandyeah; they then become alive in my performances. Ultimately I can tell people so many things in a performance that I can’t in other ways.

Can you describe what it feels like to perform? I definitely go somewhere when I perform. The act of performing feels like the feeling you get when you’re coming off mushrooms. It feels like channeling something. It’s definitely burned out, but it’s also very at peace and right here, somewhere outside yourself. It’s like exhaling. Sometimes people misconstrue my performances as being scary, but it’s not supposed to be scary or shock value at all. Looking as crazy as I do sometimes, it feels casual. I put it on the make up, but I can also just take it off.

Are you a naturally nervous person? I don’t think I’m a nervous person by nature, but I realize the older I get the less I feel comfortable around large groups of people. What happened is I actually felt very inspired by Dia Dear, a performance artist in San Francisco, to just do it. I also have another friend in Berlin

Were you involved in the art world beforehand? I’m a photographer but I was never involved in the art world. It’s really hard to be involved in the art world in San Francisco, actually. There’s not much of an art world there—it’s basically nonexistent. Just a few people trying to do stuff out there but it’s very difficult. Tell me more about the boychild character. I’ve been brewing on this character my whole life. I realized that my paintings were always of this character—it’s basically the way I do my make-up now. I was looking at some of my older work and realized that recently. It’s called boychild, but it expresses itself in different ways. I’m actually still figuring it out. The character is part of me, but it’s also something separate from myself. It’s not an alternate personality— it’s an outlet of expression. I go somewhere else when I’m performing. It’s not really a character, it’s like an entity—a vessel for work that is my performance art.

BOYCHILD TALKS PERFORMANCE ART

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How would you describe your art? I find it very interesting to hear the ways in which people describe what I do, but I try not to. Words are constraining for me. Using my body and performing is so much easier for me to explain something. Around how much time do you spend planning your performances? I’m always thinking about it. I don’t sleep— sometimes I wish I could stop. Do you have a vision of what your performances should look like to the audience? I have no idea what my performances look like. I know what they feel like. A lot of people get that feeling of an exorcism, a wildness. But a lot of times people have come to me and they’re very moved. People have come to me several times and told me that they cried. Sometimes there’s something very tender about it. It’s emotional. I did a performance in January in New York, it was a three hour performance—basically an installation. It was 30 degrees outside and I was in the front room of the gallery and the door was open. I was in so much pain. I cry a lot when I perform. I feel flipped inside out and very vulnerable in front people.

How do they experience your performance in contrast to their assumptions? Something I want from the audience is for them to feel themselves in their own bodies, in that moment. I think that if people don’t, that’s totally fine too. I don’t want to force anyone to feel anything they don’t want to, or that they’re not ready to. People often say that they see the beauty in my performance, which is surprising to me. Sometimes it can visually be very dark; there is a lot of pain and vulnerability. No one sees an image the way they see (feel, experience) a performance… there is so much movement. You don’t see my tears in a photograph. There’s an anguish that I think is very visually expressed but there is also so much joy and so much freedom. There is not a greater high.

BOYCHILD TALKS PERFORMANCE ART

Is the work ever meant to be truly dark? My work is about love. Darkness is not something I’m trying to achieve; I think it just is… as light wouldn’t exist without darkness and vise versa. I wouldn’t say that I’m aiming to make dark work, but with a reflection of light and bliss, comes darkness and sorrow. Without sorrow joy wouldn’t taste so sweet. How do you think people perceive you initially and does that change once they see your performances? It’s complicated because my (trans) body is intrinsic to my work and my life. I think people are fascinated by the androgyny at first. But it’s not specifically about gender. Would you want to work as a model? I don’t want to model, no fucking way. I don’t like that kind of attention actually. It has nothing to do with my work. That kind of attention just feels like you’re putting yourself up for consumption. That is not fulfilling to me in any way. Attention itself does nothing for me—not for modeling. Attention does something, but it’s not what I do it for. I perform to perform. I have to, basically. What I do now is a focused version of what I’ve been doing my whole life. I’ve articulated it in a different way. I’m a very performative person, but this is a harnessed version of it. Do you have a vision of what your performances should look like to the audience? I have no idea what my performances look like. I know what they feel like. A lot of people get that feeling of an exorcism, a wildness. But a lot of times people have come to me and they’re very moved. People have come to me several times and told me that they cried. Sometimes there’s something very tender about it. It’s emotional. I did a performance in January in New York, it was a three hour performance—basically an installation. It was 30 degrees outside and I was in the front room of the gallery and the door was open. I was in so much pain. I cry a

lot when I perform. I feel flipped inside out and very vulnerable in front people. Do you watch your audience? I can’t see them but I feel them. I feel their presence. I feel turned out, like literally my flesh is open. When you present people with an image of freedom, they intuitively understand that it exists as a potential in themselves. The reality of facing that truth and then activating it within their own lives is massive. Am I the image of freedom? I love that statement about reality of facing truth and activating it. Is capitalism part of human nature? I think fear is. What do you fear? Fear, because fear breeds anger and hatred. I’m really on a love kick right now. LOVE. I recognise a spiritual consciousness in your work. When we made that video together I felt that you were showing me a new language of prayer. It was a very intimate thing to experience with someone I had just met. Were you in a trance? What was happening in your head? Lots of thoughts… actually, no thoughts. I go somewhere else… completely. In the moment of performance I basically have to trust myself with you, or however many people are in front of me. I try to be as respectful as I can with the people sharing that space. I give full trust and honesty with them, because I ask for that back. I am flipped inside out, from my heart and soul. Do you think people are conscious of this spiritual aspect in their everyday lives? Maybe sometimes. Some people are just hella psychic or tuned in… many people are completely closed off to everything starting with their own souls, minds... bodies.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Performance is about the exchange between myself and the audience. You can always feel a collective gaze and it changes from space to space. It changes how I perform.â&#x20AC;?

BOYCHILD TALKS PERFORMANCE ART

Photo by Elise Gallant

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Have you developed your own ways to encourage that connection within yourself? I believe that people of power find their own ways to meditate. Yeah! I absolutely believe that. For a long time, I thought I didn’t know how to meditate, how the fuck does one meditate?! Then I realised that I do it all the time. I need to meditate before, during and after a performance, for example. Breathing is very important in my performance, seeing breath… How’d you start working with Hood By Air? I did a video with Hood By Air. Shayden saw me out once at a party and said I want to work with you and they got in touch with me. And then I went to his presentation—this was his first runway show—and I was supposed to be covering it for V Files. But then Shayne said, “Oh, no, you’re walking.” I was like, what? But I’m trying to stay out of fashion – Hood by Air is my exception, as that’s purely artistic. Would you want to work as a model? I don’t want to model, no fucking way. I don’t like that kind of attention actually. It has nothing to do with my work. That kind of attention just feels like you’re putting yourself up for consumption. That is not fulfilling to me in any way. Attention itself does nothing for me—not for modeling. Attention does something, but it’s not what I do it for. I perform to perform. I have to, basically. What I do now is a focused version of what I’ve been doing my whole life. I’ve articulated it in a different way. I’m a very performative person, but this is a harnessed version of it. What’s your dream? What I’m doing. Can you explain your Bliss tattoo? It’s where I try to be, and it’s also where I am. I’m very lucky. I live a blissful life.

“A lot of people think my work is about my adrogynous or ambiguous body,” she says. “Actually, gender doesn’t mean anything to me. I’ve had lovers and close friends

more femme- identified, which brought to light a lot of male privileges that I have because I do look more masculine. But I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t identify in any way as a man.â&#x20AC;?

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

AMANDA JASNOWSKI

Spanish-born, Ohio-raised, Amanda Jasnowski is an artist based in Brooklyn, NY. She has served as a guest editor for the Saachi Gallery Magazine Art & Music and has exhibited work in New York, Los Angeles, and London. She believes in fun, the therapeutic power of art and never taking yourself too seriously. Recent involvments include: Nominated for the CFDA’s “Fashion Instagrammer of The Year” (2014), Creating commissioned work for Nine West, Herbal Essences & Converse.

AMANDA JASNOWSKI

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

AMANDA JASNOWSKI

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

AMANDA JASNOWSKI

JOAN JETT

Joan Jett has affected thousands of little girls in the 30-plus years she has been rocking. She began with The Runaways, the five women best known for dropping a “Cherry Bomb” on the music world, and roared her way past her teenage years into maturity with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts. Jett made sneering over a mean guitar cool for women in rock and continues to influence musicians through her band and her successful label, Blackheart Records, which she founded with longtime production partner, Kenny Laguna. Joan Jett, leather-clad style icon, and Queen of Noise for all time has proven that her domain extends much further than the CD player. Not only has the feisty singer appeared on the silver screen and toured army bases in the Balkans during the skirmish in the former Yugoslavia at her own expense. She has also traveled to India, reads weighty texts like Conversations With God, and not only recorded with Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook, but produced the first Germs album, the fierce punk band that launched Pat Smear and Darby Crash on an unsuspecting world.She tells The Morton Report what exactly is so threatening about a girl with a guitar, talks about her feuds with Rush and Molly Hatchet, whether she deserves her “Bad Reputation,” and whether or not she’s “Joan Jett” all the time

JOAN JETT: QUEEN OF NOISE

MUSIC

You’re the first female rocker to succeed in traditionally male territory. How have you managed while others have given up? What has kept you going? I think maybe the belief that it still mattered, in some way — that rock and roll could change your life. Not making it more than it is, but a song can just hit you at a certain time in life. Or it could be a TV show, it could be a movie, something that just struck you and gave you courage and energy to continue following your dream. I just always thought rock and roll stood for something. What, I’m not quite sure! Anymore, anyway. But a certain integrity, I suppose, just being true to your own self, and that it allows you enough freedom that someone can be who they are and be completely different than who I am when I’m being me. And enough room for everyone to be who they are.

And they played all the records that kids over here never heard, things that were happening in England at the time, which was three-minute, very guitar/rhythm-oriented, big choruses, gang vocals. That was the style, and Bowie, Gary Glitter, Mud, Sweet, Suzy Quattro — a bunch of bands that I got turned onto at that time. But if I had to pick one I’d probably say David Bowie. The whole, Ziggy Stardust record was about someone trying to aspire to be a star. So I could relate to a lot of the lyrics. They say novelists write the same book in different ways. Do you see one theme in your songs? Sex is always the theme in my songs. Or has been. It could be a straight-up sex song, it could be just about falling in love, falling out of love, or that being in love sucks. I think that one theme, unfortunately - or fortunately - is the undercurrent of sexuality, or just sexualness. You know me from the Runaways phase, and the thing about the Runaways was that the press so much keyed on the girl aspect. In hindsight, obviously, but there was an undercurrent of sexuality, but it wasn’t that we owned it. It was some kind of freak show or something. Like everybody was waiting for us to do something outrageous, but not because it was good for us, just because it was good for them.

What song spoke to you the most when you were a kid? That’s kinda tough. It’s always hard to find one song that’s sort of defining, because certainly through all those early teenage years there were many, many songs that I loved, whether it was just the guitar sound that I liked, or the style of the song. But I think maybe if I was gonna choose one time period or artist, maybe I’d say the mid-’70s glitter scene, because it was so different than what most teenagers were hearing. I just happened to be lucky enough to be living in the Los Angeles area at the time, and I had read about a club that was happening in Hollywood called Rodney’s English Disco. 43

“Other people will call me a rebel,but I just feel like I’m living my life and doing what I want to do. Sometimes people call that rebellion, especially when you’re a woman.”

JOAN JETT: QUEEN OF NOISE

Do you think you grew into that or was the sexuality there from the very beginning? You know me from the Runaways phase, and the thing about the Runaways was that the press so much keyed on the girl aspect. In hindsight, obviously, but there was an undercurrent of sexuality, but it wasn’t that we owned it. It was some kind of freak show or something. Like everybody was waiting for us to do something outrageous, but not because it was good for us, just because it was good for them.

What do you think your greatest strength is? Not even knowing that the possibility that you can’t succeed exists. It’s not even in the realm of reality. I don’t know where that comes from. I don’t know if that’s just being reinforced as a child, being told by my parents that I could be anything I wanted to be, and doing it at such a young age. And, because the fact that I was able to be in a band, you know, I just figured, well, I’m doing it. There’s no reason I can’t do it. I’m a big person on logic. You know, there’s no logical reason why girls shouldn’t be able to do this, or I shouldn’t be able to do this, or I should stop doing this if I’m still enjoying myself.

You’ve said a few years that if you had a reunion with the Runaways, the worst thing would be if you all did get along and decided to go out on the road again. Why would that be so terrible? To just to have taken so much crap the first time around, and people being curious and never having seen it, and then doing it again just for whatever reason we’d do it, and then having people say, “See? That’s why they didn’t make it,” or “Look at these old broads trying to recapture their youth.” It’s more the idea that was so revolutionary, and still is, because it’s still not a mainstream thing, seeing girls playing hard rock and roll. My theory is that rock and roll is a very sexual thing. And to allow girls playing rock and roll means that they’re being blatantly sexual. And in America, girls and women aren’t allowed to be. That’s why you still don’t see it. The pop thing is huge, but people love the illusion of that rock rebel thing. It’s a little bit dangerous. So therefore now all these people rock. You know what I mean? When they’re using a descriptive word, they use the word rock, and that’s very offensive to me.

Are you Joan Jett all the time, or are you able to turn it off? It seems as if you’re always on tour. Oh, totally. I’ve been on the road for so long, I’m finding that when I’m home, I enjoy just being home. It’s not like I’m going out every night. I’m not going out to clubs. It’s not like I live across from the Whiskey A-Go-Go. But I just try to enjoy other aspects of my life, I guess because I’ve immersed myself so much in my career and on the road and just kinda with my head down and just chugging forward, that all of a sudden, I looked around and went, “I don’t know New York. I don’t know my friends. I want to spend time with my animals.” So when I am home, I’m viciously protective of my space. What would surprise people about you? What do you do in your spare time? Well, I ride my bike on the boardwalk. I just shuffle around town. I spend time at the beach, or go cat food shopping. When I’m in Manhattan I’m just enjoying the city. Just walking around with friends or having a meal. People always seem to be surprised that I’m just so regular. I don’t know what they expect, but I figure that my image does it. They picture me always wearing black leather and they think I’m six feet tall. And I’m not six feet tall. I also think people have a feeling I’m gonna be really mean or just make ‘em not feel good or something if they come up to me.

You once asked “What’s so threatening about a girl with a guitar?” But it’s because it is sexual. You know, I don’t understand what’s threatening about a girl being sexual. Give her the tools, and she’s an enlightened person. Keep her in the dark and she’s a pregnant 14-year-old. That’s what we are. We’re a shamed country. We hide everything.

MUSIC

JOAN JETT: QUEEN OF NOISE

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Having known you since you were 16, you’ve always been fierce. But I was never mean. No but you’ve always been very serious. Yes. Well, yeah, I always took that aspect of my life serious as a heart attack, as they say. You know what I mean? If anyone ever said anything against girls were playing rock and roll , I was ready to war. Did you ever have into a fight? Ever gotten physical? I’ve gotten verbal. I don’t believe I’ve gotten physical. If I did, I don’t remember. It would’ve been long, long ago. But no, I’ve had a few verbal spats with people who were schmucky enough to cut us down while we were opening for them or something. Is there a song that’s most you? Maybe “Bad Reputation”? Or is there a signature song you identify with? Well, “Bad Reputation” would certainly be right up there. Do you feel you deserve your bad reputation? Why do you think people consider you have one? Well, I think the reason I have a bad reputation is because I’m a girl and dare to do these things that, you know, boys do. What do you like to be remembered for? Does it bother you that people call you the godmother of the riot grrrls? Miley Cyrus cites you as her spiritual mentor. How do you see it? It’s nice that people say that, or have that sort of impression of me, in the sense that I’ve been influential to some people. But, God. I don’t know. See, I simplify it so much more, I just say I’m just a rock and roller. That’s how I look at it. And remembered as, I can’t really say the first because it’s a subjective thing. Other people might think some other girl did it first. But just as one of the first women to really play hard rock and roll. And mean it, and sweat, and get dirty. It’s hard for me to break it down like that. It just feels weird, you know, to say anything beyond I’m a rock and roller.

Do you have a motto? Well, you know what I say, and it’s not just for gigs, but it’s really for any time when I’m feeling a little out of sorts and not feeling - what’s the word? Sociatl. And you know I have to be social, whether it’s doing a show or just be in a situation where you’re mixing with people. And I realize how much people’s moods can affect the room or vibes. You know when you walk into a room full of bad vibes, you can feel it. Or if you walk into a room with good energy, you can pretty much really feel it. And I think what I say to myself is two things. I say, “Be light,” or “Be a light.” As opposed to being deadness, and so it says everything to me. It says be in a good mood. You know, just be light. Be pure essence. Be pure being. Just be, you know? And it’s much harder to do than it sounds, but it’s a great exercise. As a human being, it’s just a good way to bring awareness to everything you do, or just every thought you have. All it means really is tap into who you really are because you can control your mood. You’re in control so it’s like that whole thing of trying not to let your surroundings dictate how you’re gonna feel, you know? You want to be the light in all the chaos. You want to be the person that puts a smile on other people’s face. It’s something I genuinely use, pretty much every day. My mantra. Do you feel like the price of fame has been too high for you? No. I suppose it depends on what you want, really, you know? It does make it a little difficult just to deal with people on a regular level, because you just never know people’s motivations. And I say just from experience of knowing people who really just want to know you because of who you are but it’s nothing to do with whether they like you as a person or not. It’s more like they are dealing with an image or something. But as far as feeling if it’s too high, no, I haven’t really felt that. I feel like I’m trying to take control; I don’t want to get to a point where I resent any of that, you know? Or resent any success. I think you can balance it, and that’s why I try to spend a lot of time at home with my animals.

JOAN JETT: QUEEN OF NOISE

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JOAN JETT: QUEEN OF NOISE

49 52

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When I can, with my friends, but I do tend to isolate myself a lot. I’ll be working and then when I’m not working, as opposed to hanging out with people I’ll just isolate myself. I have to watch that to make sure I don’t do that too much. I don’t want to get agoraphobic. Do you find you write every day? No that’s one of the things that I have been trying to work on. Recently we’ve had a bit of a struggle trying to get a new studio record out. And as we’d get one album ready, and then it wasn’t, it was delayed. And then we’d get another one ready, and then that was delayed, and over the course of a couple of years it started to really de-motivate me. And I started to have a writer’s block problem, which is really hideous if you’ve ever been in that situation. I kept forgetting what it’s like to write a song, I start to think that it should just pop out. Like maybe a few of ‘em did when I was 15 and 16. And I have to remind myself it’s work. You have to sit down and work, and do it. You’re not gonna like have an epiphany and something’s gonna pour out. That might happen, but you can’t sit around waiting for that. So you know, that’s just another thing. But I am writing now, and I’m not writing every day but I’m writing more often than I’m not. And you know, we were talking earlier [about] is there a theme that I always write about. And I said sex, or love, has been a theme, and I think a lot of songwriters throughout the ages have written about [that]. But you know, as you move through life, I start to think, well, I want to write about something else, so that’s another issue I’m trying to figure out, how to write about other things. I’m not saying that they’re more important, it’s just different subject matter that I’m not used to dealing with. And I get really hesitant because I’ll stop myself before I even get done and say, “That sucks.” Well, I don’t want to lead you to believe that I’m not writing at all, because I’m definitely writing but it’s not always a song that comes out. It might be just a few lines. And I do go back to it. Things are a lot of times better than you think they are when you put it down.

Do you think rock is still hard work? Does it take a lot out of you? Yeah, definitely. Yeah, it drains me, totally. Do you have to do anything prior to a tour, like work out harder? Well, I should. And normally I would, but the gym where I live is closed. So what I would normally do is I would work out a bit before we left for the tour. Not too much, it’s more cardiovascular really than anything. Because you go from a dead stop to just all these songs, and you can’t really spend a lot of time breathing because then it’s just people standing on stage. So I have to figure out something. So I probably will do a lot of bike riding, you know, maybe run up and down a lot of steps. Just nothing fancy, just something you could do anywhere. Do you have a goal for yourself. Someplace you’re aiming towards? To be a little easier on myself, and just go with the flow a little bit more. I mean I try to go with the flow pretty much but I still... yeah, those Virgo constraints come in. Has it gotten better as you’ve gotten older? You seem more comfortable in your body. I think as I’ve gone through life I’m able to just see more who I am, accept certain things, but also realize that I may have to work on a few things too, and that’s fine. For me it’s all about awareness. Regardless if something’s right or wrong to you, just be aware of it, and not be in denial — which I find so many people do. What’s the greatest misconception about you? Yeah, unapproachable, just that people are a little afraid, or apprehensive. What have been the rock history moments for you? I’m lucky because I’ve had a couple of rock [history moments]. In the Runaways I got to hang out with Robert Plant. You know, in early ‘75 or early ‘76. No, Cherie was in the band so it had to be ‘76. He came to see us play.

JOAN JETT: QUEEN OF NOISE

Hanging out with Sid Vicious and in London, we were supposed to be doing an album but it never happened, and the other girls were hanging out with a band called Thin Lizzie. I was hanging out with the Sex Pistols, and it was just so diametrically opposite, you know? It was so clear to see that I was into punk rock and the other girls weren’t. What year was that? I think it was ‘78. All the Runaways were staying on a houseboat. On that same trip, I was also hanging out with Sid [Vicious] and Nancy [Spungen]. That was right before they came to America. That hoop belt that Sid would always wear, it was a black leather belt with rings on it. I gave that to him in England. I bought that at the Pleasure Chest in LA, and I used to wear it all the time, you can see a lot of Runaways pictures with me wearing that belt. I gave it to him just as a gesture, because I was a fan. And he started wearing it, and in all their pictures of them in America when they did their tour. I just think that’s funny. You said being in the Runaways was one of the best things that ever happened to you. What was the most important thing you learned from being in the Runaways? Wow. That’s a good question, but that’s hard. The most important thing I learned in the Runaways. Wow. I want to say something positive, because there were so many, I mean—you just learn about, to a degree, how things are done. But you know, I want to say that I learned not to trust people. Which is a horrible thing, because it goes totally opposite to what my instincts are. I want to trust but you have to be careful on every level. Look beyond the surface. You just have to, because you don’t want to lose too much of your innocence or your genuine naïveté. I don’t think naiveté is bad, necessarily. It connotes a certain innocence and I think that’s good, to not be so cynical. I don’t want to be cynical about things. I think if anything I probably just learned to 54

KIRSTY MITCHELL

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

KIRSTY MITCHELL

Kirsty began her higher education at the age of 16 studying fine art, photography and history of art. At age 19 she specialized in “Costume of Performance” at the London College of Fashion, gaining a Higher National Diploma with Distinction. Kirsty went on the train at Ravensbourne College of Art for a further 3 years achieving a First Class Bahcelor of Arts Degree with ‘Honors in Fashion Design and Textiles’. During this time she interned at the studios of the British Avante Garde designers Alexander Mc Queen (1999-2000) and Hussein Chalayn (2000-2001), she graduated in 2001 at the age of 25.

KIRTSY MITCHELL

FEATURED PHOTOGRAHPER

KIRSTY MITCHELL

CÉLINE SCIAMMA

Sciamma’s work is strikingly minimalist, partly the legacy of her mentor, Xavier Beauvois, who advised her while she was a student at the major French film school, La Fémis. While highly formalist and idiosyncratic (notably in her lack of dialogue and very stylized mise-en-scene), Sciamma’s filmmaking, beginning with Water Lilies relates closely to the characteristics of first-time filmmaking in France, notably in its emphasis on coming-of-age films focused on adolescents or pre-adolescents. Sciamma is very interested, moreover, in the fluidity of gender and sexual identity among girls during this formative period. Céline Sciamma’s Tomboy screened at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival. While she was not able to attend the festival, our occasional blogger, Pamela Ezell conducted an interveiw with her via email below. The synopsis for Celine Sciamma’s Tomboy begins, ‘Laure is a tomboy. On her arrival in a new neighborhood, she lets Lisa and her crowd believe that she is a boy” but Tomboy is about so much more than that. In her moving at times funny and bittersweet coming of age film about a young woman experimenting with gender, Sciamma takes us on a journey while her young protagonist explores familial relationships, sibling love, the victory of acceptance and the pain of being an outsider.

CELINE SCIAMMA: ON TOMBOY

CELINE SCIAMMA ON TOMBOY

What inspired this idea? Gender identity is such a relevant topic – do you know a “tomboy”? I had the storyline in mind for a while, as a pitch: “a little girl pretending to be a little boy”. My work is always about girls and their identities, it’s just stories I can’t help telling. But I’m glad to be obsessed by such topics because they are great material for cinema with strong storytelling. When you write about childhood you have to search into your memories. I was kind of a tomboy when I was a child. I had the short hair and the androgynous clothes. Sometimes I was mistaken for a boy, even though I wasn’t looking for it. I remember enjoying it sometimes, and denying it other times. I remember the feeling of freedom it gave me. Your film Water Lilies was another strong cinematic piece about teen sexuality. Why do you think this is such fertile ground? I just think you have to write about something you know. Not to tell your own little story but actually to find the right distance, and create fiction. Talking about something I haven’t been through I would stick to the cliché, and be shy. As a young filmmaker, I liked the idea of working with a young cast, around problematic youth. It allowed me to be freer, and to invent my method. I grew up as a filmmaker with films about growing up. Very few US films deal with the issue of gender identity in an honest way – especially children – although it’s a very real experience for many people. Are there many French films that tell these stories? Is “Tomboy” as unusual in France as it is here? Tomboy is also unusual in France. Twelve years ago there was Ma vie en rose about a little boy wanting to be a girl. But in the meantime, the page on the subject remained blank. I think it’s part of the success it had in France actually. It’s a story that hasn’t been told much, and the audience responded also to that.

Is that one more way that French culture is just entirely more grown up than American culture? Regarding childhood, France has a strong tradition of movies dealing with the subject in a frank way. Whereas in America, movies with children are made for children. But in the meantime, France is very shy about gender studies, in schools and universities, whereas America is showing the way. I know that in The States, there’s a misconception that “it will pass” in children, it’s just a phase. You don’t seem to share that view. True? I think what happens in childhood is very striking and leaves strong impressions. You still remember the scents, the flavors, the emotions you had at that time. Nothing passes, everything remains, the shames and the pleasures. But the movie stays open on whether this is a phase or the beginning of a radical journey toward identity for the character. It was a choice from the start to make the movie very open on the problematic, so that everyone can relate. It’s a way to be political to make the film welcoming for a wide audience. I made it with several layers, so that a transsexual person can say “that was my childhood” and so that an heterosexual woman can also say it. The movie creates bond. That’s something I’m proud of. Tomboy is a really loaded word. It’s about girls who transgress into male territory. Do you think that there is less of a stigma attached to the word now? I don’t know about the stigma in the english word. But in french tomboy is “garçon manqué”, which means “failed boy”. I don’t need to comment, you can see how bad it is. That’s why I used the english word even for the french title. Because “garçon manqué” is kind of an insult in french. I didn’t like the notion in failure in the french expression, because it is something you can be very successful at!

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CELINE SCIAMMA ON TOMBOY

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CELINE SCIAMMA ON TOMBOY

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The parents, especially the mother in the film have a response that is atypical to what we might expect when they discover their daughter has been posing as a boy. Can you talk about your decision to have the mother respond in this even – yet emotional way? I didn’t try to make the parents exemplary. I wanted to make the portrait of a family where things are going well, where there is friendship and tenderness, with a committed father. They know that their girl is a tomboy and they don’t have any problem with it, letting her have short hair, painting her room in blue, letting her dress as she wants. I didn’t want them to have one monolithic answer to what happens. The mother’s response has several layers: fear, violence, clumsy, and also sensitive in the speech. Why should parents have the right answer to something so mysterious? I didn’t want to avoid the violence that such marginal journeys can trigger. But also I didn’t want to make it as simple as that. I was looking for the right emotions; therefore I chose to create contrast in her reaction.

her have short hair, painting her room in blue, letting her dress as she wants. They are not in denial that she is acting like a boy, they just don’t know it, because she is good at keeping the secret. I remember having great secrets as a child, keeping things to myself. Laure knows that being a boy is more powerful thank being a girl. When do you think kids realize that one gender has more power? I think kids realize it the minute they goto school... How did you find/cast Zoé? How did she prepare for such a personal, challenging role? I only had three weeks to complete the casting because I made the movie in a great rush. I didn’t have the time to go hunting for kids in the street, schools or drama class, which would have been my method otherwise. So I headed straight to the acting children agencies, spreading the word I was looking for a tomboy. Quickly the word came back that there was this girl, Zoé, who had what it took. I met her on the first day of casting, and was amazed. Of course she had the looks, but mostly she had such an intense face, and incredibly photogenic. We didn’t have the time to rehearse as we were shooting a month later. I just cut her hair as a preparation for the part, and then all the work was on the set. To get a performance from such a young actress- I really considered her as an actress – was about being very direct, very accurate about the character state of mind and attitudes. I made her commit to the part, and tried never to be in the position of a thief. During the takes, I am constantly talking to her, creating the rhythm of the scene with her. Directing kids is a lot about the trust, and the relationship you build. And also, it’s a lot about making it a big game. Because kids shouldn’t be working anyway… I think Zoé had a lot of admiration for the part; it was an opportunity for her to express something she knew, but on a wider, fun scale. Of course there were difficult scenes where she would be challenged, but she took the film seriously and really committed. it’s just a phase.

I came out of the film thinking that this movie should be seen by all parents especially parents with kids who are questioning their gender. Did you have any thoughts as to whether this film could really help kids going through gender identity issues? I didn’t make it as an educational film, but now I see how useful it can be. In France the movie is now going to be shown in primary and secondary schools, as part of the program regarding cinema. I received a lot of testimonies from parents with kids questioning their gender. saying thanks, or asking questions. The parents are aware that she isn’t girly but they seem to be in denial that she is acting like a boy. Do you think this is common? Did you base the parents on research? I didn’t do any research for the parent’s characters. And I didn’t try to make them exemplary. I wanted to make the portrait of a family where things are going well, where there is friendship and tenderness, with a committed father. They know that their girl is a tomboy and they don’t have any problem with it, letting

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CELINE SCIAMMA ON TOMBOY

KIRSTY MITCHELL

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

MELANIE BONAJO

Melanie Bonajo exams the paradoxes inherent in our future-based ideas of comfort. Through her photographs, performances, videos and installations Bonajo examines subjects related to progress that remove from the individual a sense of belonging and looks at how technological advances and commodity-based pleasures increase feelings of alienation within the individual. Captivated by concepts of the divine, she explores the spiritual emptiness of her generation, examines peoplesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; shifting relationship with nature and tries to understand existential questions by looking at our domestic situation, ideaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s around classification, concepts of home, gender and attitudes towards value.

MELANIE BONAJO

FEATURED PHOTOGRAPHER

MELANIE BONAJO

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MISIZ MAGAZINE ISSUE NO. 02 COMING SOON SPRING/SUMMER ‘15

When you present people with an image of freedom, they intuitively understand that it exists as a potential in themselves. The reality of facing that truth and then activating it within their own lives is massive. When you present people with an image of freedom, they intuitively understand that it exists as a potential in themselves. The reality of facing that truth and then activating it within their own lives is massive.