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

Underground Absolute Fiction: a musical wandering between East Van and Poland, memory and fantasy

PuSh FestivalBy PuSh International Performing Arts FestivalOct 06, 2021