In North America, disabled people of all kinds are marginalized. We dart our eyes away and try not to stare as we see the handicapped on busses, in shopping malls or at restaurants. We don’t welcome them into our “normal” world because they make us feel uncomfortable, and as a result we feel like it’s okay to treat them as less than human.
So when films come along that openly discuss the lives of those who a simply a little different, I get very excited. When the people in that film also happen to be part of a Finnish punk band called Pertti Kurikan’s Name Day (Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät), I get irrationally excited.
And The Punk Syndrome is worthy of irrational excitement. The film gives us a peek into the lives of four men with developmental disabilities who also happen to be in a punk band. They are Pertti, the band’s guitarist; Kari, the band’s singer; Sami, the band’s bassist; and Toni, the band’s drummer. And they are wonderful, complex people with a deep desire to be taken seriously and treated like they matter.
Most movies about people with developmental disabilities are filled with implied exclamations of “Look what they can do! Isn’t that good? They’re almost normal!” (Sometimes these exclamations are actual, which is unbearably worse.) This film is the exact opposite of that. The members of Pertti Kurikan’s Name Day are not treated as either problems or children, which ““ like all of us ““ they sometimes are. Instead they are treated with dignity and love, which includes the freedom to create the music of their choosing ““ music that rails against their group home, their band mates, their treatment by the general public, the government and uncomfortable pedicures. (Yes, it’s a broad spectrum, but what can I say? Artists are complex people.)
This film will remind you to celebrate the humanity in our sameness, not in our differences. These four men are barely different than you or I. What The Punk Syndrome highlights is that makers of punk music will pick fights, throw tantrums, soil their pants and be emotional messes regardless of medical condition or geographic location.
Despite their occasional outbursts, which stem more for their artistic nature than anything else, these men are a joy to watch. They will remind you that words like “˜equality’ and “˜dignity’ don’t just make nice credos, they’re realities we need to live every day. This is one of the best and most uplifting films I have seen in years, and I can’t recommend it strongly enough to anyone who is, well, human.
To find out more about the film and the band, visit their website where you can listen to some of their music and see the trailer for the film.
The Punk Syndrome screens on Monday, April 30, 2012 at 1:15 pm and Friday, May 4, 2012 at 1:30 pm as part of the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival. Check the festival website for details and tickets.
“The film tells about Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät so it’s about one retard who sings punk and three retards who play punk. You should watch it and think about whether you should hate disabled people or love and respect them.” ““ Kari Aalto, singer Pertti Kurikan Nimipäivät
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Trista DeVries
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I saw the film yesterday, and thought very highly of it. I wonder what you think of the scene in which Pertti shits his pants; the camera captures him cleaning himself, and frames his exposed body for the viewer.
I have not decided what I think of this moment, but it's worth thinking about ethical implications of documentary representation in this scene. The camera exercises tremendous control over Pertti's body. In this scene, he seems very vulnerable. Does it make you ask whether or not this moment is exploitative?
I did want to ask the filmmaker if there was a conversation about whether or not to include this scene because of the ethical questions it raises. But then it became clear that the event was supposed to be a love-in, and critical questions wouldn't be appropriate.
I did like the film very much. But I'm wondering what you think about this scene in particular.
JP
Hi Justin. This is such an interesting comment. I’m pleased to hear your perspective on this.
From my own perspective, it wasn’t a violation of his privacy and I didn’t feel that Pertti was particularly vulnerable. Instead I saw that he was more angry that he had to take the time to clean himself, than upset that he had soiled his pants. The nudity itself didn’t bother me because in other parts of the world nudity is simply something that happens when you take your clothes off, rather than being the stigmatized issue that is closely tied to our self-worth here in North America. For instance, British television and film has a great deal of nudity (sometimes sexual, sometimes not) because they don’t feel the same compulsion to work around the fact that people are sometimes naked.
That said… is it exploitative in the sense that I’m not 100% sure what the consent issues were around this film? Maybe. But Pertti was at the screening and indicated that he was very pleased with the film. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would be silent if he felt violated by the scene, and it was my impression of him (both fromt he film and the Q&A on Saturday night) that he was able to make his own decisions about his feelings in this regard. But this is an extremely good point, and I’m glad you brought it up!
(And never feel shy about asking a filmmaker a question at a Q&A. They are so frequently asked the same things over and over again that new questions, like this one, are refreshing.)
Awesome film, and I was really happy to see it. Meeting Pertti and Sami after the Saturday evening screening was an extra treat. Sami speaks three languages– Finnish, French, and English. I thanked Pertti for coming all this way to Toronto and he smiled and put his arm around me. What a sweet bunch of guys– I hope they're able to play a show in Toronto someday! I will definitely be there!
I was super excited to see them at the screening, too Rachel! They're wonderful artists, and you bet if they play here I'll be first in line!
These great guys are friend of mine and I´m so proud of them! I hope all the success for this document, which I hope will open people´s eyes in many ways.
BUT note only one member of the band, drummer Toni, has Down syndrome. They are unique personalities with different kinds of disabilities…
Hey havumaki!
Thanks for this comment. I'm proud of these guys and I'm not their friends, so I can only imagine how proud you must be!
Thanks also for pointing out the error in my piece. I've amended it now and sincerely apologize for the slip.
Cheers!
Trista
Great Trista! It´s a common mistake, because we know so little about people like Pertti, Kari, Sami and Toni and we don´t have them living in our neighborhood. Unfortunately! But things are changing, I hope.
I have seen these guys on stage several times and I can assure you it´s an EXPERIENCE! Let´s hope they could perform some day in Canada.
Great to see this film is making friends outside Finland too! I work with disabled people myself and I can't recommend this documentary enough.
Trista, you were right about the nudity issue, there are cultural differences. In Finland nudity is taken quite naturally, thanks to the still flourishing sauna tradition. But of course it can be confusing in other cultures. Personally I thought Pertti's dirty pants were more like punk thing than anything else
Yep, I'm from Finland and not-sexual nudity is really not a big thing and just like you pointed out: because of sauna.
My friend had some americans visiting him and they were stunned to see men and women go together in sauna butt-naked. After a while they did come in but only after the girls left.
As for the movie: it's a great and good story. This should raise some questions about "them" not being able to function like "normal" people. I at least hope so.
Proper English translation of the band's name would be "Pertti Kurikka's Name Day". "Kurikan" is Finnish genitive of the surname "Kurikka".