In a journey that begins on Victoria Drive, Anais West uses story and song to transport you to her mother’s homeland, Poland. From a punk concert in Praga to the bloc apartments of Communist Gdansk, she searches for queer belonging and family history. The through-line is a protest anthem, “Rota,” written by lesbian Polish poet Maria Konopnicka and then re-appropriated through the centuries by revolutionaries, nationalists, and now queer punks.

The songs and narration are part of Underground Absolute Fiction, a docu-fantasy film Anais has been writing and developing with the support of the Canada Council, the BC Arts Council, the frank theatre, Rumble Theatre and the Queer Arts Festival.

Credits:

Text by Anais West
Performed by Anais West and Julia Siedlanowska

Musical credits:

“Przemoc, twoja przemoc”
Vocals: Julia Siedlanowska
Guitar & Back Up Vocals: Sara Vickruck
Keyboard & Back Up Vocals: Claire Love Wilson
Drums & Music Direction: khattieQ
Lyrics by Anais West
Translation by Łukasz Wojtysko
Arrangement by Sara Vickruck

Recording, Mixing and Mastering: Piotr Wieczorek
Adapted by Sara Vickruck, khattieQ, Julia Siedlanowska & Claire Love Wilson
from the folk song “Biedoż moja, biedo," author unknown.

“Rota”
Sung by Julia Siedlanowska|
Written by Maria Konopnicka
Composed by Feliks Nowowiejski

Audio credits:

“【4K】Walk in Warsaw - Nowy Swiat and Chmielna Street | Warszawa Spacer | ASMR Street Sound” by Penguin Walk
“Aresztowanie Margot ze Stop Bzdurom i przemoc policji wobec osób demonstrujących” by Michał Szymanderski-Pastryk
“Marsz Równości 2019 w Białymstoku - relacja” by B K
“Old Radio Tuning into AM/FM Stations Sound Effect Free High Quality Sound FX” by Free High Quality Sound FX

Audio edited by Ashley Daniel Foot

“Of peanuts and screws”, an audio walk with Njo Kong Kie

PuSh FestivalBy PuSh International Performing Arts FestivalJan 27, 2021