Punkie

Loud, crude, and unapologetically herself: that’s American comedian Punkie Johnson. As a Black lesbian woman, she has created her own utterly chaotic comedy universe. We follow Punkie and her devoted, equally loud entourage on tour through comedy clubs across the United States. Along the way, they also stop off in New York, where Punkie performs on the legendary sketch show Saturday Night Live.

Punkie’s career is at a crossroads. She has her sights set on a breakthrough with a special on one of the major streaming platforms. But what if reaching a mainstream audience means sacrificing her authenticity and cleaning up her comedy?

As Punkie sinks into an ever deeper artistic crisis, we gradually learn her life story, about growing up queer and Black in the Deep South. Intimately filmed in striking black-and-white, this energetic road movie asks: what is the cost of toning yourself down when you had to fight so hard to become who you are?