As the UK punk subculture marks its 50th anniversary in 2026, a curious contradiction arises when viewing punk in retrospect. For a movement founded on notions of anarchy, non-conformity and independent expression, its historical legacy has inevitably condensed around certain accepted iconographies and aesthetics.
Revisiting the pioneers of the 1970s provides a bracing reminder, however, that punk has not merely slipped into comfortable dotage, but that the rebellion sparked half a century ago has left an indelible mark, redrawn the lines of cultural acceptability, and is still thrillingly relevant today.
Jordan, born Pamela Rooke, is perhaps the original and definitive face of punk; the iconoclast’s icon. Working as a shop assistant at Vivenne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s Sex boutique, Jordan was integral to London’s nascent punk scene, and would soon become one of the movement’s most notable practitioners thanks to her then-unique look, combining bold make-up, fetish-inspired outfits and vertiginous bleached blonde hair.
Jordan’s influence would extend from fashion into music through her associations with the Sex Pistols, Adam and the Ants, and other acts. She also made notable appearances in two feature films which brought the distinct, chaotic creativity of punk to a new artistic frontier: cinema.
This short season showcases Jordan’s contrasting forays into cinema. In Derek Jarman’s Jubilee, she is Amyl Nitrate; an anarchic anti-Britannia ruling over the wastelands of an apocalyptically reimagined 1970s London. In Robina Rose’s Nightshift, Jordan’s iconic visage – ghost-white, impassive – bears witness to the nocturnal activities of the Portobello Hotel, as countercultural luminaries pass through over the course of one eventful evening.
Icon / Iconoclast is part of Rip It Up – a nationwide season celebrating the changing face of youth rebellion, culture and expression on screen in the UK. Supported by Film Hub North as part of the BFI Film Audience Network, made possible by the National Lottery.
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