Seattle punks the Gits, led by riot grrrl par excellence Mia Zapata, were at the height of their powers in 1993 when a single inhuman act brought their promising trajectory to an abrupt halt. While walking home on the night of July 7 of that year, Zapata was raped and murdered. It took over a decade for police to find Zapata’s killer and put him to justice. Meanwhile, the tragedy shocked and horrified the members of the Seattle music community that had embraced Zapata– but at the same time, it united them. In response Zapata’s death, several members of this community founded Home Alive, an organization which continues offering self-defense classes and educating folks through community outreach programs to this day. Zapata also left her mark on more than a few charismatic frontwomen to emerge over the years. The legacy of the Gits and the circumstances surrounding Zapata’s untimely passing are examined in depth in The Gits, a feature-length documentary that has been making the festival rounds and will soon hit a theater and/or DVD player near you. Directed by California filmmaker Kerri O’Kane and packed with rare footage of the Gits’ formative years, The Gits will screen at theaters around North America in the coming months. It emerges in DVD form July 8 via Liberation Entertainment.
A list of cities where you can catch The Gits follows. More screenings and theatrical runs are expected to be added, so do yourself a favor and bookmark the film’s website for updates.
The Gits (arranged by opening date):
June 5
Louisville, KY – Rudyard Kipling (Last Call Film Festival) (single screening)
June 7
Columbia, MO – Ragtag Theater (single screening)
July 4
Denver, CO – Starz Film Center
New York, NY – Pioneer Theater
Portland, OR – Clinton Street Theater
Sacramento, CA – Movies on the Big Screen
Seattle, WA – Northwest Film Forum
Winnipeg, Manitoba – Big Smash
July 7
Austin, TX – Alamo Draft House (single screening)
Indianapolis, IN – Greenbriar Cinema Grill (single screening)
Providence, RI – AS220 (single screening)
San Francisco, CA – The Embarcadero (single screening)
Seattle, WA – Metro Cinema (single screening)
July 27
Edmonton, Alberta – Metro Cinema
