NATASHA INTERVIEWS SHARON WOODWARD (2008)
- Tell us about your film “Thank You Skinhead Girl”: What is the basic concept and how did you come up with the idea to make a film of it?
Well the idea was really to thank the skinhead girl I once was. It’s a documentary that explores my own experience of being in Care (Children’s Homes) and becoming a skinhead girl during that time. There are also contributions from skinheads from the Oxfordshire area from the late 60’s to the 80’s. A number of things made me realise that I wanted to make this film, one was seeing ‘This Is England’ and I have never seen a drama with skinhead girls in it before. The other thing was reading Gavin Watson’s blog ‘Oh What Fun We Had’.
2.When do you plan for the film to be out and where will people be able to find it?
Well I’m editing it at the moment and I’m anticipating it being finished by the end of this year early next. I am receiving support in the form of an equipment award. So the first screening will be with Oxford Film & Video Makers and Screen South in the UK. I will then send it out to film festivals and see what other screenings are taking place locally. It may get picked up by a distributor, so if that happens people will be able to purchase it. I will put it up on the web eventually but if it goes up before it is sent out to film festival then it can mean that some festival won’t accept the film. It’s just one of those things unfortunately. I think the best thing to do is just keep people informed of the screenings and if people are organising screenings themselves or have a local arthouse cinemas who are interested in showing it to get in contact with me.Sharon Woodward Online:
http://www.mischiefpictures.co.uk
http://myspace.com/SharonKayWoodward
3.What are some of your influences when it comes to Film-making?
I think in documentary John Grierson he was quite ground breaking in his time, but I would also say British documentary filmmaker Paul Watson. Paul Watson did a TV series on British TV back in the 70’s called ‘The Family Way’, shot in Reading. I know people are used to seeing cameras in people homes now a days but back then it had never been done. It was really quite amazing observational filmmaking. He was once interviewed and asked if he thought he was the father of reality TV. He replied that if he was then they were all bastards! I don’t think he appreciated the comparison. Ken Loach for both documentary and drama I will always remember ‘Kes’ any British working class kid who didn’t feel like they fitted in could relate to that.
I was for many years very influenced by British Realism and what was called ‘Kitchen Sink Dramas’ it was the first time in the late 50’s early 60’s that working class characters had been portrayed in film.
Lindsay Anderson had said after working in America that he wanted to shoot in all kinds of weather, that if the actresses hair was messed up or the lighting wasn’t right then they should still shoot the scene. This again not so unusual now but at the time it was a ground breaking methods. I thought any other way of filmmaking was Arty bollocks and I actually wouldn’t get into any other discussions about it. Then one day – this was when I was at Newport Film School (1987), this Lecturer came in and said to the class he wanted to show us ‘The Gospel According to St Matthew’. Him just saying the name Pasolini sent me into one! I launched into what a load of arty shit and bollocks it was etc. Then I started watching it and it completely blew me away, I mean he doesn’t use actors just the people from the local village, I was mesmerized by it and it has that song ‘Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child’ well it just changed the way I looked at films and my view on filmmaking.
I do also love Mike Leigh, Stephen Poliakoff and Jane Campion I think she is so good with showing female sexuality. I thought the sex scene in ‘In The Cut’ was so powerful with Meg Ryan and Mark Ruffalo what a great Cullilingus scene that was? But it was a great scene I’d love to work with him Ha-ha4. Please List some of your favourite music, skinhead-related or otherwise.
Well I am a big Ska and Reggae lover, I don’t mind a bit of Oi! But I was much more into music on the Trojan label. The Oppressed! (formerly) are letting me use some of their music and Oxford Ska band The Inflatables have written some music for me and are also doing a cover version of ‘Skinhead Girl’ for me.
OK back to my favourites but not in any particular order:
Israelites – (Desmond Dekker & The Aces)
Skinhead Girl – (Symarip) Well it had to be this really didn’t it? The original is the best – but I think The Oppressed! and Bad Manners both do a pretty good version of it.
Rudy, A Message To You – (Dandy Livingstone)
One Step Beyond – (Madness)
Skinhead Moonstomp – (Symarip)
Red Red Wine- (Tony Trib)
I’ve also been listening to You’ll Lose a Good Thing – (Audrey)-
I can still Reggae you know, just takes me a bit longer to get back up again!
Skinhead Times – (The Oppressed! )
To be being a skinhead was about the merging of Jamaican and white working class culture, skinheads who stand by their Roots will always have my utmost respect because they to me are the true skinheads.
5.What does “Skinhead” mean to you?
Wow! Well I’m not or should I say I don’t dress like a skinhead anymore, but I still feel like I have it somewhere inside of me. I don’t know if this was because I was a skinhead at a very difficult time in my life and to a certain extent I think those things have remained with me. So I would say being a skinhead is about being strong in character (Skinhead Girls were the original Girl Power! and Empowerment of Women I think), to be passionate and proud of who you are, true to your Roots and not be afraid to stand by your Roots. Being a skinhead gave me a sense of belonging when I felt alone and gave be dignity when I’d had most of it taken away, the skinhead movement accepted me when nobody else really would.