Atlanta Rollergirls hosted some special festivities to celebrate Derby, Baby!’s Atlanta Film Festival premier. At noon on Saturday -before the film’s screening – skaters from Atlanta and other nearby derby leagues congregated at Midtown’s Skate Escape (1086 Piedmont Avenue Northeast, Atlanta, GA 30309).
About Derby, Baby!
Narrated by Whip It star Juliette Lewis, Derby, Baby! explores the drama, the friendships, and the addictive nature of women’s roller derby. Along the way, the film reveals the sport at its most turbulent time since its inception 77 years ago, and finds derby’s growing foothold in mainstream consciousness going head to head with the DIY culture and empowerment that currently defines the sport.
For certain, the lure of community and self-propriety is at the core of today’s roller derby movement. But on the track, athleticism and competition reign. All the while, fans of the sport are multiplying. And now, women’s roller derby today finds itself at a tipping point. Can derby’s unique culture co-exist with the capitalism of mainstream sports? What does the future of women’s roller derby look like?
Derby, Baby! isn’t just a film about roller derby – it’s a fascinating look into the world of competitive sports as run by women, and attentively examines this singularity as the sport adapts to its changing landscape.
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