Music documentary Fanny: The Right to Rock has earned praise from Filipino musicians.
"It's very powerful and inspiring. I hope to hear more of them and meet all of them," Raymund Marasigan said at the movie's exclusive advance screening. "Fanny is very funny," he added.
Buboy Garovillo, whose group Apo Hiking Society was active the same time as Fanny, found a connection with the long-forgotten ladies of rock and roll. "I urge you all to watch it. Kahit paano makaka-relate kayo sa buhay ninyo, kung paano ang (kanilang) paghihirap and how to accept things in life. Ang ganda po."
Another Apo member, Jim Paredes, meanwhile, was awed to see Fanny's members still rocking in their 60s. "They were the inspiration (of other female rock bands) and now they're being recognized and that's really a wonderful thing. You know, at their age now, they're still doing it and that's love!"
Itchyworms drummer Jazz Nicolas empathized with the struggles of female musicians: "I feel their pain. Maraming musicians ang makaka-appreciate ng story nila."
Caren Tevanny of the all-female band General Luna said: "No matter how old you are, you can still do your thing. You have to try and try, and you just do it for your happiness. I wish I lived in that era so I could have jammed with them. It was really a very inspiring movie."
Written and directed by Canadian filmmaker Bobbi Jo Hart, Fanny: The Right to Rock reveals the band's significant impact that has been lost in the mist of time.
It features members from its changing roster that includes Filipino-American siblings June Millington (guitar, vocals) and Jean Millington (bass, vocals), Alice de Buhr (drums, vocals), Patti Quatro (guitar, vocals), and Brie Howard -Darling (drums, vocals).
The documentary includes interviews with Joe Elliott, Bonnie Raitt, Kathy Valentine, Todd Rundgren, The Cherie Currie, John Sebastian, Kate Pierson, Charles Neville, David Bowie guitarist and bassist Earl Slick and Gail Ann Dorsey, and other musicians.
Fanny: The Right to Rock had its world premiere at the Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival on 29 April 2021. It won the Audience Award and drew enthusiastic reviews, generating an early buzz.
Fanny: The Right to Rock opens at select cinemas on 7 September and is distributed by TBA Studios.
