Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk

Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk premiered in San Francisco back in May as part of the 16th SF DocFest and is now making its way around to many theaters across the nation.

The documentary focuses on Berkeley’s 924 Gilman Street music collective, but also covers 30 years of punk music history in the Bay Area, including footage from New Method Warehouse in Oakland, an early punk venue and squat.

Produced by Green Day and narrated by Iggy Pop, the film includes interviews with the members of Green Day, Jello Biafra and East Bay Ray of the Dead Kennedys and Kirk Hammett of Metallica, with several sessions recorded in Green Day’s Jingletown Studios in Fruitvale.

The film’s cinematographer, Greg Schneider, has lived in Oakland for about 15 years, and also works as Green Day’s videographer, web designer and photographer.

The film’s co-writer and director, Corbett Redford, said he was grateful when Green Day approached him to make the film. While he has a background in screenwriting and producing videos, the documentary is his first feature-length film.

“They wanted to shine the light on their creative peers and the culture that they came from,” he said.