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The trouble was that. despite being peopled by some fascinating young people from ages six to 16 (it seems everyone from Quakers. the clinically depressed and the insanely gifted want a piece of Green‘s after-school rock cake). Green actually comes off incredibly badly in the film. It captures him shouting abuse at his students. ordering them to worship Satan and even mocking the religious beliefs of a bunch of white boy Quaker rappers. And yet. between screams and taunts of ‘You‘re not playing loud enough!‘ and 'l‘m not your fucking roadie!‘ he manages.
‘IF ANYONE WANTS TO DRAW CONCLUSIONS ABOUT ME FROM A 93- MINUTE MOVIE, THEN THEY'RE JUST ST UPID'
somehow. to teach his pupils skills. which are far above and beyond the talents of most modern rock musicians.
Predictably. Green drew a fair bit of flak from local and national press. educational spokespeople and some of his pupils‘ parents. ‘When I first saw the film in my living room I didn‘t know what to think. but I‘ve seen it with enough audiences now that almost everybody gets it. They understand that it's just nine months of my life condensed into ()3 minutes. and played out for the drama and laughs. I'm certainly not like that most of the time. otherwise I'd probably have a heart attack. right'." Green stops for a
moment to draw some breath to fuel his husky but fully rounded growl of a voice. ‘Hey man. you know. if anyone wants to draw conclusions about me from a 93-minute movie. then they're just stupid to begin with.‘
What seems to perturb Green most. even at this remove. is the accusation that he is just sotne failed musician manchild who. unable to deal with the adult world. gets his kicks out of harassing young children. Tailed musician? What. me and l() million other people whose band didn‘t get signed'.’ As far as living through the kids. I don‘t have any fantasies to do with kids. I‘m actually very happy. I really love teaching. and I think that it shows in this film. But if I wanted to be in a band. I can assure you that I would quite easily get a band together and play those bars.‘
Now that he can see Rm-k School‘s publicity potential for his curiously vibrant educational cause. Green seems unconcerned with public distaste for what he is doing. and his bile now seems squarely aimed at a schooling system he has come to despise. ‘We live in a country where they don't push you at all. and I‘ve seen such magnificent things come when kids get rid of the fear and laziness: and all I'm telling them is if they practise more. they‘re capable of amazing things. Believe me. nothing feels as good or as honest as being applauded on stage. The kids get used to tne ragging them. and no matter how bad they feel when I do it. it is never gonna feel as bad as being really shit on stage.‘ Shine on. you crazy diamond.
Selected release from Fri 9 Sep.
THE YOUNG ONES
Paul Dale picks a clutch of other great documentary films featuring children.
I Em et Avoir Nicolas Philibert's remarkable 2002 arthouse hit is a quietly humane documentary of a one-room school in rural France, where the students (ranging in age from four to 1 1) are educated by dedicated teacher Georges Lopez.
I Style Wars One of the coolest documentaries ever made. Henry Chalfant and Tony Silver's
freaktastic 1983 gem chronicles New York's legendary Kings of Graffiti who had their own special place in the hip hop pantheon. A B-Boy masterpiece.
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I High School Along with the Maysles brothers and DA Pennebaken Fred Wiseman was one of the leading lights of the highly influential 19608 US cinema verité movement. This rarely seen. pioneering 1968 documentary detailed the day- to-day life of a state-run US school. Wiseman made High School // in 1994.
I Spellbound Jeffrey Blitz's overrated and mildly manipulative documentary. which follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee, was the sleeper hit of 2003 in both the UK and US. At the box office it outperformed many of the big budget releases made that year.
I Mad Hot Ballroom Coming soon to a cinema nearyouis director Marilyn Agrelo and writer Amy Sewell's absolutely brilliant film which follows a bunch of elementary shool children from several New York City schools as they learn ballroom dancing and compete in a city-wide dance competition.
8 1’? Sop 9001') THE LIST 15