Private Project

It's not a passion project.

"It’s not a passion project." follows a small Canadian dance company to a farm in rural Ontario. They’re not working on anything specific, except the radical act of being both collaborators AND friends. In this documentary of a moment, we hear from the company’s Artistic Director, voiced by the company’s Dramaturg, and see the working energy of a small collective of dance-making artists who’ve lovingly clawed their way through Toronto’s live performance scene. The film strips away the veneer of performance to see these artists in their simplicity; they’ve escaped the city to a farm with not much more than their box of old costumes, a camcorder and each other. Stylistically referencing the “behind the scenes footage” they grew up idolizing as children in the 90s, this self-made fan video attempts to capture a working energy that redefines how the typical dance company is often imagined to work.

Audiences will be gifted a laid back experience through the softness of the camera quality and the intimacy of the editing. After an easy surf through a personal glimpse, viewers earn the simplest revelation: rooted in most fun and mischief is a deeply tender love. See Rock Bottom's playful devotion to stay afloat.

  • Alyssa Martin
    Director
    Bin Chicken
  • Rock Bottom Movement
    Producer
  • Sydney Nicole Herauf
    Director of Photography
  • Brayden Cairns
    Key Cast
  • Drew Berry
    Key Cast
  • Sam Grist
    Key Cast
  • Sydney Nicole Herauf
    Key Cast
  • Natasha Poon Woo
    Key Cast
  • David Bernstein
    Voiced by
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Genres:
    Dance, Theatre, Documentary, Nature
  • Runtime:
    6 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 30, 2021
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Camcorder
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Alyssa Martin

Alyssa Martin is a choreographer, director and performance maker. Her work blurs the lines of theatre and dance in saucy conversation with her modern dance influences. Alyssa founded the company, Rock Bottom Movement, in 2012, and the group has since been graciously recognized with multiple Dora Mavor Moore Awards and the Canadian Stage Award for Direction. Alongside her collaborators, she has created new work in residence at The Banff Centre, Canadian Stage, Toronto Dance Theatre and The Stratford Festival Lab. She recently premiered her first feature-length dance film, Bin Chicken, created with Toronto Dance Theatre. She approaches her dance with high-energy mischief and a deep consideration for the audiences who come to play. She was an Emerging Director in Residence at Canadian Stage (18/19).

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Director Statement

I spoke this poem into my phone one afternoon in quarantine while staring at the images you see in this film. In a way, it's my choreographer-plea to my own work; a gentle wish to urge moments of playfulness past to stay at the ready, in hopes they will resurface someday. I hope that viewers can recognize themselves in my devotion to this group of collaborators and friends. I hope it conveys a sense of soothing nostalgia in these unanchored days.