Experiencing Interruptions?

Strong Enough

An amateur athlete on the path to become a pro tests her limits one afternoon by pursuing several world-records just as conflict from her dissolving marriage collides, threatening to derail her.

  • John Foss
    Director
  • John Foss
    Writer
  • Russ Kendall
    Producer
    Man In The Camo Jacket, The Christ Child, Instrument of War, Winter Thaw
  • John Foss
    Producer
  • Ashley Jerue
    Key Cast
  • Demetrius Grosse
    Key Cast
  • Noah Kershisnik
    Key Cast
  • Jake Stormoen
    Key Cast
  • Kim Rhodes
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Sports, Drama, female, narrative
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 10 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 1, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    290,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - John Foss

Foss is a director, writer and producer. His credits cover a range of feature film and television projects, including production supervising Paul Schrader’s The Card Counter starring Oscar Isaac and a producer on the upcoming indie drama The Integrity of Joseph Chambers directed by Sundance alumn Robert Machoian. As a director, his most recent film The Christ Child, presents an astounding new perspective of the classic nativity story in Aramaic, which was released and viewed by millions across multiple streaming platforms, and winner of four Gold ADDYS. He’s directed around the world on narrative and documentary branded films, which have afforded him the ability do work for P&G, JEEP and Ancestry. Such work has awarded him with several Gold Telly, CINE and Cannes awards. Early on in his directing career his first short film KOFI, shot on a shoestring budget in NYC, premiered during the Cannes Film Festival and was named by Indiewire as one of the top 20 short films to see. Foss followed it up with REINS, a proof-of-concept short film that debuted at Lincoln Center in NYC and the Indy Film Festival. As a writer, his feature and television scripts have advanced in the Sundance/Sloan Commissioning Grant, the Nicholl fellowship and the Austin screenwriting competition. He holds an MFA in Film from Columbia University in New York and is an active member of the Producers Guild of America and The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.

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Director Statement

Years ago I was introduced to CrossFit, a rigorous sport of performance and endurance. It’s a world focused on pushing the body’s strength, mental awareness, agility and speed. If one is so dedicated the outcome is a machined, yolked physique, built to perform at a very high level. For anyone who dedicates themselves to push their bodies to this extreme, it requires time and determination. What sacrifices and commitments must one make to become their best?
I became intrigued by the stories of women who reach this high standard, realizing the lack of such stories because sports entertainment is dominated by men. And these days if there is a story of a woman who possesses brawn and brain then she’s often wearing a cape. I wanted to see a genuine story - beyond the muscle and into the heart of her character - of someone who is conflicted with expectations, standards and her own personal ambitions. There is a fascinating tension to see a character who is so physically and mentally strong, but also emotionally vulnerable.
As a storyteller, I like to tell galvanizing, redemptive stories. Stories that are familial and relatable. These kinds of stories have become more important for me to tell, especially as a father. Life is complicated and difficult, and as my children grow to understand that, I want there to be stories that help them know we don’t need to abandon our struggles. We can face our battles, even after loss. We can be brave. We can be strong, and though it’s discomforting. Though it may hurt. We can find the strength to go through those obstacles. The fight is worth it. There is reward on the other side. As the stoic Aurelius wrote, “The impediment to action, advances the action. What stands in the way becomes the way.”
While this is a story about one person overcoming, I appreciate the other thematic elements that are explored, such as commitment, forgiveness and love. These themes are important to me and ones I embrace as I believe the world is always looking for stories that embody such messages of hope.
- John foss

An Allegory
This film is personal to me, on many levels. I’ve often considered this film as an allegory of love. For as much as love is spoken of as something figurative - something that lives in the chambers of our heart, this film is an allegory to that. Sam, the character, is an embodiment of love that lives in the chambers of this gym. The records are an expression of the expectations we put on ourselves or the expectations others give us that somehow would prove the strength of love, but those expectations can be too much to bear. The figurative becomes real in this story, where love can surprise us, it can be torn, it can be broken. Love can be motivating, or a fight. Love can be a struggle where we try so desperately to hang on, or love does all it can to hold everything up and together. In the end, love proves it has the power to heal. Love endures. Love is always strong enough.