Private Project

All It Gives

Showcasing one of Toronto’s best up and coming Hiphop dancing stars, “All It Gives” follows the story of Kosi Eze, a Nigerian immigrant who moved to Canada when she was 14. Her transition to the country brought immense culture shock, loneliness and loss of identity. She was immediately hooked by the vibrant HipHop scene in Toronto and Mississauga. After meeting key members of the dance community Marcelino “FrostFlow” DaCosta, Mariano “Glizzi” Abarca and Caroline “Lady C” Fraser, she was able to meet even more new people, share perspectives, and excel as a dancer in the Toronto community and beyond. From dancing in the hallways at her high school, to winning battles across the globe, Kosi’s story of growth is a glowing example of how the power of Hiphop can inspire, uplift and support anyone who needs it and wants to discover it.

  • Talia Woodland
    Director
  • Talia Woodland
    Writer
  • Matthew Takatsch
    Writer
  • Talia Woodland
    Producer
  • Anthony Hunos
    Producer
  • Kosi Eze
    Key Cast
  • Caroline "Lady C" Fraser
    Key Cast
  • Marcelino "FrostFlow" DaCosta
    Key Cast
  • Mariano "Glizzi" Abarca
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    15 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 26, 2019
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Talia Woodland

A professional dancer and filmmaker, Talia Woodland is a multi-media artist from Whitehorse, Yukon. Wearing many creative hats, she feels adept both in front of and behind the camera. A graduate of Humber College’s renowned Film & Television Production program, her foray into documentary filmmaking began with her as picture editor on the critically acclaimed short,“Stripped.” From there, she worked as a camera operator on several short film projects, which led to her role as Cinematographer on the short musical drama, “Lola Jones.” Talia is excited to be releasing her directorial debut, a hip-hop dance documentary entitled “All It Gives.” Her strong connection to the dance community comes from the work she has done with Borealis Soul, a multimedia dance and theatre company from Whitehorse Yukon. Her hard work at Humber earned her the 2019 Women in Film Award. A recent graduate, Talia is interning with celebrated Canadian filmmaker Liz Marshall and continuing her dance work with Borealis Soul. Talia is excited to continue working on diverse multimedia projects in Toronto, Whitehorse and beyond.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I first found out about Hiphop culture and dance at a small studio in my hometown of Whitehorse Yukon. A curious dance studio owner, Andrea Simpson Fowler, wanted to teach her son and his friends “breakdancing.” Soon enough, Mariano Abarca found himself flying up to the Yukon to teach these northern small town kids about breaking. That was 25 years ago.

Since then, Hiphop has taken root in the Yukon at Andrea’s dance studio and community centre. As I grew up dancing there, I saw countless youth applying themselves and changing their lives with the lessons they learned through Hiphop. In the Yukon, I was lucky enough to learn from some of the best people in the Canadian and Global Hiphop community. They taught me the true meaning of Hiphop and the importance of knowing your history and passing on that knowledge. I was constantly around all these amazing people that had powerful stories and lessons to share, yet most people would only ask them to dance, and not to speak.

As I started my journey into the film industry, I knew that this community was something I had to share with my newfound art form. I wanted to share what the community members had to say, and tell a story that represents the power and amazing community that Hiphop culture is. Thus, “All It Gives “was born.