The Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls was established in Portland, Oregon in 2000, and has grown into a full-fledged phenomenon, with sister organizations cropping up all over the country. It's a week-long summer camp where impressionable kids can learn to express their angst and their joys... [More]

The Rock 'n' Roll Camp for Girls was established in Portland, Oregon in 2000, and has grown into a full-fledged phenomenon, with sister organizations cropping up all over the country. It's a week-long summer camp where impressionable kids can learn to express their angst and their joys through the redemptive power of punk rock. As this moving and funny documentary demonstrates, learning to play an instrument, write songs, put a band together, and perform--over the course of just five days--becomes a way for young females to learn how to assert themselves, to find their individual voices, and to get along with peers under the caring eye of sympathetic camp counselors. The documentary traces the stories of four girls who, remarkably, face up to the creative challenges while undergoing personal transformations. A charismatic but troubled eight year old named Palace learns how to front a band without bullying her bandmates. Laura, a sweetly chatty and confident death-metal fan, comes clean about her hidden teenage insecurities. Amelie, a hyperkinetic eight year old with an ear for avant-garde guitar thrashing finds a productive outlet for her natural intensity. Misty, a former meth addict, finds her footing in a warm and supportive environment, allowing her to let go of a harrowing past. In addition to fly-on-the-wall footage of practice sessions and group activities, the film also features several one-on-one interviews with campers, counselors, and parents, who all have insightful things to say about the camp and its effects. Amusing animated sequences soften the blow of the saddening statistics they report about teenage eating disorders and other low self-esteem issues, but the rest of the documentary is uplifting and inspirational. The film culminates in a montage of triumphant live performances by several of the ad hoc bands, an ending that leaves viewers cheering. [Less]