Academy award nominated director Michèle Ohayon’s brand new documentary Strip Down, Rise Up just premiered on Netflix this February of 2021. Ohayon directed, wrote and produced the film with cinematography by Sam Ameen. These two ladies did a phenomenal job shining a light on the stories of several women who have embraced the art of pole fitness. The documentary does not stop there, Ohayon executed an important commentary on the societal expectations, pressures and blame put onto the shoulders of women. Ameen’s camera and Ohayon’s direction embodies the female gaze. With vulnerable interviews, matched with an empathetic lense, the documentary showcases how pole dance sets women free, empowers, lets women reclaim their bodies, and creates a sisterhood.

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The film follows several ordinary women, who enroll in Sheila Kelly’s 6 month poll fitness program. The program is open to any one who identifies as female and wants to reclaim their life, no experience necessary. Women enroll for a variety of reasons, to get in shape, to feel sexier, to get over a divorce, or even a death. At the beginning of the film we meet Evelyn, a recent widow. Another student is Megan, a former gymnast and sexual assault survivor, the perpetrator being the infamous Larry Nassar. As we follow their journeys over the course of the film, we also are introduced to Amy Bond, a practicing lawyer, pole fitness studio owner, and competitive pole dancer. Additionally, we gain insight from professional pole dancer in Cirque Du Soleil, Jenyne Butterfly. Together these women show the many different things pole dance means to women, and break the stigma that it is a performance for men. Watching the beginners go through the program, you witness the unexpected hardships and sisterly bond they form with one another. Amy Nicholson, of The New York Times shares the praise,

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