“You know what? I don’t know how to say “pussy” in French.”
For the past 17 years, Marie Losier has captured the dynamic and provocative essence of Peaches, the trailblazing feminist queer icon.
This intimate portrait offers a deep dive into the life of an inspiring, taboo-shattering artist. Discover Peaches’ electrifying concerts, her close bond with her sister and how her boundless energy, fearless exploration on and off stage has transformed every phase of her life into a captivating work of art.
With Peaches goes bananas, Marie Losier offers more than a portrait of a woman, an artist, a pioneer, an icon of punk culture.
A performer captured in intimacy
I don’t think there’s anything that better demonstrates the power of Peaches in concert than the film extract, at the 19th minute, where she does Fuck the pain away, filmed at various shows, each as crazy, intense and bursting with energy as the next.
At Hot Docs in the spring, I had the chance to see another documentary on this incredible artist, The teaches of Peaches, and I came to the same conclusion about the power of this song and the fact that it has become a punk anthem for all those who step outside the basic societal line.
As with the other documentary, one of the things that stands out is Merrill Nisker’s openness to surrender and simply be who she is. For over 25 years, she has been determined not to submit to society’s destructive norms. And it starts with her concerts, in which she can be seen inviting spectators on stage to sing, dance and go wild with her and her team.
But this time, the director goes deeper into Peaches’ life, introducing us to her sister, who suffers from a debilitating disease, and her parents.
A poor image
While the constant camera movement and jumping from one point to another helps create this sense of intimacy and proximity to the subject, it also creates a kind of dizziness in the viewer. The opening scene is the best example. The editing is so jerky that it feels like it’s skipping.
There’s another disturbing thing too. It’s that orange light that appears at times on the edge of the image. The kind of residue that appears at the edges of film when it’s too old or damaged by water. And it comes back often enough to make you wonder if it isn’t a stylistic choice. I can live with this kind of defect in a field documentary. But here, it’s all too frequent and it gets annoying.
But the use of 16 mm remains interesting. I think this format gives an impression of proximity. And in this case, it’s worth its weight in gold.
Incidentally, the director admits that, at the beginning, she didn’t really know how to shoot effectively, which perhaps explains some of the less winning images.
A little more…
To make her film, Losier followed Peaches for 17 years (with gaps, of course), in several cities including: New York, Toronto, Berlin, Brussels and Amsterdam.
The movie begins with a conversation about Peaches’ aging body. And the body has always been part of the singer’s work. The director, who also admits to having a love-hate relationship with her body, probably found herself with the best possible subject to allow her to change her relationship with herself.
Using both archival footage and images shot in real time, Marie Losier shows the intimate and flamboyant side of our most punk Canadian artist. The costumes Peaches wears often evoke the absurdities of our world, bringing them to life. “If you think my costumes are absurd, you should also consider how absurd real life can be. I juxtapose the two: art and reality.”
And unlike most singers and bands, when she wears a costume, it’s not just something she wears for style. They’re about action, about something that makes you think, whether it’s body shape, movement or something else.
Although Peaches goes bananas is far from perfect, it does show the importance of the artist, her struggles and the influence she has in marginal cultures.
Peaches goes bananas is presented at the FNC on October 12 and 14, 2024.
