Mollie Mills' PITKISSER Explores LA's Girl Mosh Subculture Through Film and Photography

Filmmaker and photographer Mollie Mills has created PITKISSER, a two-channel film installation and photobook documenting Los Angeles' 'girl mosh' subculture. The project originated in 2017 when Mills encountered Syerrah Escobedo, whose distinctive style inspired the work. Cinematographer Daisy Zhou shot the footage over two days, though the project developed over several years. PITKISSER follows Syerrah and Kris as they navigate violence and find community in mosh pit environments. The film features various Los Angeles locations including pool sides, basements, and garages, showcasing subcultural aesthetics like back tattoos, baby bangs, and box dyes. Escobedo describes the beauty elements as protective armor influenced by Chicana makeup traditions. Mills explains the work evolved from documenting mosh pits as visually compelling spaces to examining why participants seek consensual spaces for rage and resistance. The project incorporates static compositional frames contrasted with dynamic movement, shot entirely on a 16mm lens to create a timeless quality. Deaton Chris Anthony contributed composition and sound design, with licensed music from Miss Kittin & The Hacker and Peggy Lee. An accompanying book includes a short story by Mills about relationships and violence. Mills hopes the work will inspire future viewers to embrace self-expression. The project represents a dialogue about how young women reinterpret violence through subcultural participation.