A film that focuses on Courtney Love's band Hole where Ms. Love is not the out-of-control one may seem like an unlikely premise. But the story of Hole drummer Patty Schemel's rise and fall (OUT of Hole) is beautifully done.
Growing up in a small town outside Seattle, it wasn't long before Schemel and her musician brother Larry became regular fixtures in the Seattle music scene. As the city was becoming the focal point for the new "alternative" movement, Patty and her friend Kurt Cobain were indulging in activities a bit more risky than music. Through home footage and interviews with all three band-mates and a who's who of influential female drummers, Hit So Hard tackles sexism in the music industry, the long and painful process of kicking drugs and the loneliness of being a young lesbian in a conservative town. But by looking at her life from so many facets, the film is ultimately uplifting, moving and powerful. Props to everyone involved. Best SXSW documentary this year.