LIFE IS IN THE STREETS AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES
PS ACME Gallery
8 Balmes Road N1 5TQ London
Situated in the onetime badlands of Noho (north Hoxton)
An arts-space, photo gallery and the home of the PS ACME clothing,
the latter being the brainchild of PHIL STRONGMAN and the head of PS ACME design TUNDE KISS.
I was shooting a performance in front of the Foundery in Old Street, London, 2010, when Phil Strongman noticed me. He was filming another performer. He came to me with his business card explaining he was working on a documentary film and needed a photographer. I took his card, gave mine and kept on working.
The next day I was off for some traveling and read Phil’s email only one month later. I had just promise myself to not look at emails during holidays and it worked at my advantage. Phil believed I was one of those inaccessible photographers too busy for those kinds of documentary work. In reality I had just started photography and would quite my full time job as an art director few month later.
When Phil explained me his project, I loved everything and accepted straight away to be part of it. He was a dear friend of Malcolm McLaren who had died early in the year. Phil wanted to make a documentary about his life and the generation he was representing, the anarchist generation.
Phil introduced me to the gang.
McLaren Westwood Gang trailer
It was a privilege to hear their stories and an honour to work on a such meaning full project by the side of Phil. He dedicated all his time, money, energy, love and passion for what he believed to be important. He struggled to fund his project but he kept on going, I learnt a lot from his determination to never give up.
We are still searching for film distributors. Please share this around to allow us to tell the stories of those unbelievable characters who dared to be what they are and to do what they believe in.
Phil and Tunde* are waiting for you at the gallery.
* my encounter with the beautiful Tunde in a next post. She is unbelievable too, I love her very much and I’m sure than in the coming years you will hear about her a lot! I strongly believe in her talent and her personality. Puszi Tunde