Sheffield woman to make debut in a film which is striving to make all women visible

On the Road to Dallas is a UK produced documentary type film, which follows the stories of a group of British women and how they became part of a new national roller derby squad.

Originating in America, roller derby is a full contact women’s sport, which is played on quad skates on a flat oval track - it has become more popular in recent years but it is relatively unknown in the West Indies and there is an under representation of black players.

Erica Mitchell-Packington, also known as She-Rarr, said: “Right now, I think it's incredibly important to uplift black voices and see triumph and joy as well as heartache.”

Although Erica is white, she has seen clear inequalities amongst her fellow black skaters.

Jamaican born Erica explained: “Roller derby is really white. Like many other sports, it is influenced by the structures of the society it comes from.

“There is a lot to do in the community to counter exclusion, making sure we are steadfastly acting against prejudice and racism and ensuring we are creating a welcoming environment for all.

“That means having some uncomfortable conversations about the structures and behaviours that might not be immediately visible to people who aren't directly affected.

West Indies vs. Sweden at the World Cup.

“Some black skaters have been made to feel unwelcome and excluded.

“This film tells the story of a thriving, engaging community made up of funny, talented and bad*** sportspeople who did a crazy thing based on a dream.”

Erica talks about her dual heritage in the documentary - she grew up in the Bahamas, came to England as a teenager and now lives in Sheffield.

She also shares her thoughts on trying to find the balance between training and caring for her daughter.

Erica said: “It's a story about sports, about the experience of being skaters. Black, white, mixed heritage, British, American, West Indian - it's about family history and identity and nationality and sports.

“It's a great story that deserves to be told.”

Erica describes her time in Team West Indies as the ‘hardest and best thing I have ever done’, but she hopes the documentary will help people understand the challenges faced by black skaters in particular.

Simone Radway, also known as Violet Attack, is the vice captain of Team West Indies.

Filming the skaters' journey at the World Cup.

She grew up in England and now lives in Birmingham, but has family roots in St. Kitts. She was also the only skater to have played in the first Roller Derby World Cup in 2011, where she represented England.

In the film, Simone shares her experiences of the competition and the challenges she has faced as a black skater.

She said: “I love roller derby and even though I have competed for many years in this sport, there was something extra special about being part of a team where the women nearly all looked like me and had a similar heritage.

“This documentary is important because it shows that diverse representation is important in our sport, all sports and in all areas of society.

“How seeing people who look like you doing things can be empowering and make you believe that you can do that too.”

The documentary has been in the making since 2014 and follows the lives of the skaters as they prepare for the 2014 Roller Derby World Cup in Dallas.

It also explores the different aspects of their identities - from their West Indian heritage to motherhood.

The women - collectively known as Team West Indies - come from all over the UK and the USA, but are all of West Indian heritage and share a passion for roller derby.

The film seeks to bring visibility to the women whose stories are told, but it also hopes to bring visibility to women of colour in a more general sense.

Mathilde Marinet, the director, said: “Visibility needs to be worked on a lot.”

French born Mathilde, who lives in London, explained: “I really want to do this for visibility. I am craving to see more women, but particularly women of colour being strong and powerful and great.

“There are not many spaces for women being leaders, powerful.

“I want the team to be seen for their work. It is incredible to see this.”

Having tried roller derby herself, Mathilde told how it is a predominantly white sport and the right kit is also required so it is not cheap.

Mathilde wants women of all ages, mothers, and the next generation, to see that even if it is a challenge, ‘it is possible you can represent’, as the documentary demonstrates.

She said: “If a team doesn’t exist, you can start it”.

Although Mathilde describes body positivity and motherhood as running themes, she summarises the film as ‘a group of women giving themselves a massive challenge’.

She said: “I wanted to get a variety of perspectives with people from different countries and of different ages.

The 2014 Roller Derby World Cup had over 30 countries competing, with trained elite athletes taking part.

With filming completed in Sheffield, Birmingham, Manchester, Swansea, Croydon, London and Dallas, the project is now in its final production stages.

This last stage is said to be ‘crucial’ as it will ‘determine the future of the project’.

With the project being self funded so far, £8,000 is still needed to complete it and ‘to ensure the story reaches a wider audience’.

The On the Road to Dallas team are currently fundraising and they are encouraging people to get involved by making a donation to funds or through sharing their story.

When the film is completed - which is expected to be any time now depending on the amount of funding secured - it will be shared with film and documentary festivals before being shared to the general public.

For more information, see: www.ontheroadtodallas.com.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to The Star website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.thestar.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.