by Eva Dameron
Daily Lobo
Susan Dynner was a band photographer in Washington, D.C., when she was 15 years old.
Dynner has photographed punk rockers since the '80s and built up a friend base with band members from GBH, U.K. Subs and Minor Threat, which came in handy when she decided to direct, produce and shoot a documentary about the last 25 years of punk rock.
"Punk's Not Dead" plays today and Wednesday at the Guild Cinema.
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Guild co-owner Keif Henley said the film is an update on the punk rock scene.
"(It covers) all of the different manifestations that punk has gone through," Henley said. "It's more of an update than 'American Hardcore.' It deals with some of the British bands. It goes through all the different grassroots punk rock communities - from mall culture to the very homespun backyard parties."
The film addresses how punk rock is as much a way of life as it is music.
"It's a philosophy and attitude - do-it-yourself, being true to your self, grassroots, localized," he said. "It's not just a fashion sense, a style of music. That's what it gets lumped with a lot. It's a way of living your life."
Dynner said the definition of punk rock is subjective.
"For me, it's about freedom of expression and freedom of thought, you know - it's an attitude," she said. "It's about doing what you want as long as it's not hurting anybody. The fashion part came in because back in the early days, it was shocking to people. Now it has become acceptable. It's like you're not scaring your parents anymore - your parents take you to the mall to get it."
Dynner said there has been a ton of films on the history of punk rock, but she wanted to show the role of corporate sponsorship in the music, as well as bands that have been touring steadily for 30 years. She also wanted to illustrate the vibrant underground scene happening today.
Dynner said she faced a major disappointment during the
process.
"The bummer is I was supposed to interview (the Clash's) Joe Strummer," she said. "I was going to England, and Epitaph (Records) called me and said, 'Is there any way you can wait a couple months because they're still in the studio,' and I said, 'Sure, of course.' And, unfortunately, he passed away during that time. I was really looking forward to interviewing him."
Henley said the spirit of punk rock lives on, even if it has manifested in ways people wouldn't have expected.
"People today may not have the liberty spikes and holes in their pants," he said. "But there's a noise scene, and it's just manifested itself in ways beyond three-chord rock 'n' roll. It manifested itself in ways that aren't necessarily associated with the Ramones and the Sex Pistols."
Biology student Aja King considers herself a purist when it comes to punk rock.
"I would hope that if someone was dressing in such a style that they would be involved in the scene," she said. "I think that for any subculture, you should stay true to whatever it is you're identifying with, and I don't necessarily think that if you're into punk music you have to dress in a certain way."
