In 2003, Kandeyce Jorden set out to make a documentary about female DJs, turning her camera on early pioneers like DJ Irene, Colette, and DJ Lady D who managed to make it in a world full of BSD (Big Swinging Dicks). There was one DJ in particular that caught Jorden's attention: Sandra Collins, a fixture in LA's underground scene in the late 90s. Jorden found herself increasingly intrigued with Collins' story—to the point where the documentary took a sidestep, and became about her obsessive relationship with the DJ.
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Over the next ten years, Jorden pursued Collins around the world, attempting to unravel her enigmatic party girl persona. "The movie becomes a very personal story about identity, loss, and the love of music," Jorden tells THUMP. Now, the documentary is finally finished. It even had an early screening during the International Music Summit at Red Bull Guest House in Miami earlier this year.But Jorden has one last hurdle to jump through: music licensing. To raise the money she needs to pay for the documentary's soundtrack—which includes songs by The Chemical Brothers, The Crystal Method, BT, and Goldfrapp—Jorden has launched an IndieGoGo campaign, hoping to raise $50,000 in the next 35 days.Jorden points out that while Girl is a personal film, it can't help but address the inequalities between men and women in dance music. "Many of the inequalities and biases toward women DJs 12 years ago are still prevailing today. Men get paid more than women, and there are many multi-day festivals around the world where only one or two women are booked to perform, and sometimes none at all," she says."So even though Girl isn't a political or activist film, it is definitely part of a very important conversation happening today about equal opportunity and equal compensation for women artists."Support Girl on IndieGoGo hereMichelle Lhooq is THUMP's resident techno feminist. Follow her on Twitter