Frameline50: Antidiva: The Carole Pope Confessions

Carole Pope is a music legend who set Canada’s punk and new wave scenes on fire in the 1970s and 1980s. As the frontwoman of Rough Trade, she stormed the stage in yellow leather pants and a black jacket, delivering hits like “Fashion Victim” and “Crimes of Passion” with fearless, unapologetic energy. k.d. lang, Jann Arden, and Peaches still recall seeing her in 1982, when she provocatively performed “High School Confidential” on national TV: “It makes me cream my jeans when she comes my way,” and how that act of queer defiance influenced them in their careers.

With her musical partner Kevon Staples, Pope pushed boundaries — blending punk, glam, and bondage into a style all their own, developing a cult following, even as U.S. record deals remained elusive. Now in her 70s, Pope channels her creativity into music, art, and fashion, working on a musical about her brother who was an AIDS activist and musician in New York City in the 1980s. Directed by documentarian Michelle Mama, Antidiva celebrates a queer icon who always does it her own way.

Expected Guests: Michelle Mama, Carole Pope