Strip Down, Rise Up

R

2021

1 hr. 52 min.

Documentary

List

100%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

74%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

In an effort to reclaim their bodies and lives, a group of women explores the intersections of movement and meaning in a powerful pole dancing program.

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Netflix

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Audience Member

Beautiful and inspiring.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It seemed like this was done with the best of intentions, however the way it came across felt like it was exploiting women- specifically those with trauma- for someone elses gain. I felt like I was invading these womens privacy. I hope future films cater more towards womens empowerment and not women's sexual trauma without their story from victim to victor

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I'm with the fitness instructor here. If the movie isn't remotely close to reality of the pole dancing fitness it's just pure fiction. Full of filler. Boring. A discredit to people who actually do pole dancing seriously.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Disclaimer: I am in this movie as myself (Amy, Pole Competitor) and I really liked Strip Down, Rise Up. This movie is not about the history of pole dancing. It is about the very specific life experiences of women who participate in a 6 month S Factor journey learning to reclaim their bodies and embody dance movement. I really loved the storylines of Evelyn and Megan, who each share personal trauma that they've overcome. I also share my personal journey with healing through trauma and appreciated the additional storyline that showed Jenyne Butterfly, a Cirque performer who lives and breaths pole dance and act creation on a daily basis. I hope that this movie is the first of many pole dance movies. There are so many unique and incredibly technically gifted pole dancers and Strip Down, Rise Up is a glimpse into some of those stories.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/29/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wonderful combination of authentic moving emotional catharsis and spectacular physical prowess. Really enjoyed this and highly recommend!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Empowering, emotional and inspiring. A must-watch for men and women alike. By exploring how disconnected they are to their bodies, the women learn to feel happy in their own skin, release locked trauma and express how they really feel, about a lot of things. Not for the faint-hearted, or unemotional crowd. All of the women in this doc were brave to share their stories and to be vulnerable, open, and willing to learn.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

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Michèle Ohayon

Director

Sheila Kelley

Self

Jenyne Butterfly

Self

Amy Bond

Self

Michèle Ohayon

Writer

Michèle Ohayon

Producer

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Amy Nicholson

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

It's a very interesting, moving idea, and there's a lot of women here who I found incredibly powerful.

Feb 6, 2021

Full Review

Lisa Kennedy

Variety

The doc is poignant, surprising and deftly reawakens questions about "patriarchy" - not by being a pole-dancing polemic but by foregrounding its characters' experiences.

Feb 4, 2021

Full Review

Barbara Shulgasser

Common Sense Media

Traumatized women heal by pole dancing; language, sexuality.

Rated: 4/5

Mar 2, 2021

Full Review

Peter Canavese

Celluloid Dreams

What pole dancing is outside of the male gaze: body positivity, trauma recovery and reclaiming body and soul from toxic gender roles. Life-changing and very powerful.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 16, 2021

Full Review

Jonathon Wilson

Ready Steady Cut

The dancing is, at least in part, a metaphor anyway, a symbolic representation of casting off doubt, embracing sexuality, and healing myriad wounds.

Rated: 3.5/5

Feb 5, 2021

Full Review

Jade Budowski

Decider

A moving examination of women from all walks of life and how self love and confidence can come from unexpected places.

Feb 5, 2021

Full Review

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Synopsis

In an effort to reclaim their bodies and lives, a group of women explores the intersections of movement and meaning in a powerful pole dancing program.

Director: Michèle Ohayon
Screenwriter: Michèle Ohayon
Production Co: Kavana Entertainment
Rating: R (Sexual Material|Brief Graphic Nudity|Language|Descriptions of Sexual Abuse)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 5, 2021

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