Roller Girl, Roller Girl -- Rock My World

A slow start, a little foggy (only in my head) this morning. I was out late, shooting video at the Cork Lounge under the El tracks on Addison. The Windy City Rollers held an event looking for Roller Derby candidates. Ninety-seven women (girls, babes, sweeties -- they prefer to call themselves 'sisters') showed up to hear the Roller Derby pitch, eighty-six of them signed up for tryouts.

Obviously, this is a phenomenom with 'legs.' Girls just want to have fun, and be in the spotlight, and hang together, and maybe kick a little ass too. Roller Girl Names include: Sister Sledgehammner, Juanna Rumble, Violet Nature, Ida Ho, Brawny Parker, Anita Applebaum, Mouse and Predator.

Free food, cheap beer, and the lure of becoming a Roller Derby Star brought out an incredible array of girls -- tatoos, multi-colored hair, leather pants, short skirts, body piercings, hot and cold, short and tall -- sweet ones, tough ones, every type and profile imaginable.

I did the 'Christopher Isherwood - I am a Camera schitck.' This is not my 'thing,' (as opposed to the theater) I'm not conjuring a vision, but trying to capture a 'truth.' Cinema Verite! For awhile, I was the only man in the place. I was the 'officially sanctioned' videographer, (I was introduced as 'Jammer' which happens to be a Roller Derby position) so everyone was open and cooperative. I shot three hours of video (manual focus, low light), I think I captured some nice moments.

Not sure where this is going. I look at this as a long-term project -- a documentary, looking for a tone, a character, a story. Could be a comedy, a tragedy, a comedy with tragic overtones, a farce, etc. Stay tuned, I will follow the story with camera in hand.