Girls to the front! Join us in our Taper Courtyard for a special screening of the acclaimed 2013 documentary, The Punk Singer. This compelling documentary chronicles the life and influence of Kathleen Hanna—frontwoman of Bikini Kill and a central figure in the "riot grrrl" movement. Blending archival footage with candid interviews, the film traces Hanna’s rise as a fierce voice in punk music, her role in shaping feminist discourse in the 1990s, and her enduring impact on art and activism. 

A conversation with Kathleen Hanna and Ms. magazine Executive Editor Katherine Spillar, moderated by Skirball Chief Curator Cate Thurston, immediately follows the screening.

In conjunction with our current museum exhibition, Outsiders, Outcasts, Rebels + Weirdos: Punk Culture 1976–86, this outdoor screening invites audiences to consider how personal expression and political action intersect across mediums. Bring a blanket, settle in under the evening sky, and experience this intimate portrait in a shared, open-air setting.

Directed by Sini Anderson (2013, 81 min., Not Rated)

Arrive early to view the exhibitions! The Punk Singer is the perfect complement to the exhibition Outcasts, Outsiders, Rebels + Weirdos: Punk Culture 1976–86, which celebrates how a generation of misfits—including Jewish punks—challenged the rules, reimagined community, and helped reshape culture from the margins. And don't miss Inventing America: The Comic Book Revolution; Robert Russell and Lisa Edelstein: A Palace in Time; Common Ground; and Visions and Values while you're here.

"terrifically watchable and impressively empowering" —The Guardian

Kathleen Hanna is a punk singer, writer, artist, and the frontwoman of the influential bands Bikini Kill and Le Tigre. Her memoir Rebel Girl was an instant New York Times and Sunday Times bestseller. She is a leading voice in the feminist movement and has been named one of the best live performers of our time. Follow @mskathleenhanna on Instagram, @thekathleenhanna on TikTok, and subscribe to Future Windows on Substack. 

Katherine (Kathy) Spillar is the Executive Director of Feminist Majority Foundation and Feminist Majority, national organizations working for women’s equality, empowerment, and non-violence. She is also the Executive Editor of Ms. which the Feminist Majority Foundation acquired in December 2001, becoming the sole non-profit publisher of the iconic magazine co-founded in 1972 by Gloria Steinem. Under her oversight, Ms. has increased its investigative reporting and in-depth analysis and today is the largest print and online feminist news site reaching readers from across the globe via the quarterly print magazine, a vibrant and popular website, Ms. Studios podcasts and live events, a robust e-newsletter mailing list and a social media following of more than half a million.

Allison Wolfe co-founded the band Bratmobile, a fanzine Girl Germs, and third-wave feminist punk movement riot grrrl. She received an MA in Arts Journalism at USC Annenberg and now teaches at the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. Wolfe also produces a podcast, I’m in the Band, DJs, and continues to sing in Bratmobile.