Whatever happened to the 80ies Skinheads...

Skinheads 25 år senare (Skinheads 25 years later)

Documentary shown on SVT (Swedish Television) Tursday 21/11 2013

1986 the then young and ambitious Swedish reporter Cicci Rehnström Suurna did make a documentary about some young Skinheads in Stockholm. I saw it back then, still with sad memories of the skinhead thing going to hell (the far right). I knew, I been there, done that. In 86-88 Stockholm was a divided city between Punks and Rockers and Hip Hoppers (called Kickers at the time) and The Skinheads. I had no problem to talk to them and I remember that Character Göran, and my todays Girlfriend even was a hangaround. We knew that everyonee of them wasn´t nazis as the media claimed. I think Cicci back then managed to see the individuals cought in an extrem macho and violent style. Not some nazi thugs.

Now 25 years later she want to know what ever did happened to the guys, the movement etc.
The movment today trying the best to be originals, unpolitical and SHARPS. But still some young guys and girls and some punks gather at the nation known hangout, Helikopterplattan. In the end one of the more violent skins in the documentary shows up and it turn out to be a Japanese tourist photosession or something. ”We were there”, style!
And in a way both her films are a bit cute. Pakaging that violent young men as cute nd lost young boys. Not just, but a bit. Even if the main theme in the doku is ”Wheere are they now, what the hell became of the once Sieg Heil skinheads.

Most of them did end up in criminality and in jail. Some just fled the scene to become whatever they beacame. Those guys didn´t want to take part in the film and regret any involvement in the Skinhead movement. The two we got to meet again, Göran and Kent, told their story, a story that continued with drugs, holiganism and gangsterlife in the outlaw biker world. Both of them tries to make sense in their everyday life and tries to help out. Kent even work as a social worker, Göran co founded Exit, a Nazi defector organissation that still works.

A cop that was working at the scene then, trying to keep the ever coming minor weekend riots, was telling his impressions. Those kids were so torn inside, he comment.

I was on the other side back then, and I think those boneheads did destroy the cool thing about skinheads. I don´t host to many sympathies for them who helped to fuck it up. But I can´t see why that Göran guy have to hate him self as he seem to do still today as an ex junkie, ex con , ex skinhead. But it is good to see that they feel a bit embarrased over the right wing shit.
The doku is a bit to cozy to be real good. But as an document of the zeitgeist (both end of the 80ies and today) it is OK. At least it tries to see the humans behind the boots. Not just deliver the average media cliché.

Worth watching? A bit, it was better than the other shit that the TV chanels are full of.