Hot Docs 2017 Profile: Bobbi Jo Hart
“I feel a responsibility to tell stories about women, to help inspire future generations of girls to believe in themselves and their own dreams.”
Ballet — an art form reserved for performance only by women of minuscule frame and for consumption only by the elite. Yeah, right! With Rebels On Pointe, director Bobbi Jo Hart profiles New York City’s Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo (more commonly known as “The Trocks”), an all-male drag ballet troupe who throw all traditional notions of ballet out the window. With the same elegance and skill as any prima ballerina, The Trocks open ballet up to a wider audience by crafting parodies of classic performances, injecting their unique signature camp and humour.
The film follows The Trocks as they practice, perform, live, and love with behind-the-scene footage, intimate interviews, and amazing coverage of live dance performances. Through personal accounts and archival media, the film also gives a complete picture of the company’s 40+ years of history, from New York’s Stonewall riots through to today. Exploring themes of identity, dreams, family, love, and loss, Rebels On Pointe is heart-warmingly genuine, utterly charming, and thoroughly entertaining.
Hart has previously directed She Got Game, which goes behind-the-scenes of the Women’s Tennis Tour; I Am Not A Rock Star, which follows the coming-of-age years of Juilliard-trained concert pianist Marika Bournaki and which won two Canadian Screen Awards; and Rise, which focuses on the Canadian women’s national soccer team before and during the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2015.
Rebels On Pointe had its World Premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (where it was the Runner Up for their Audience Choice Award), and has since screened at San Luis Obispo Film Festival (where it won Best Feature Documentary), Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam LGBTQ Film Festival, FIFA International Festival Of Films On Art, American Documentary Film Festival, and MiFo LGBT Film Festival. It’s screening at Hot Docs will be its Toronto Premiere!
You can see Rebels On Pointe at this year’s Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Film Festival, screening at 6:00pm on May 4th and at 12:30pm on May 5th. GET YOUR TICKETS HERE.
TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND HOW YOU GOT INVOLVED WITH FILMMAKING.
Bobbi Jo Hart: I was born and raised in California and Oregon, but have lived in Montreal for some 20 years. I earned an Honours BA of International Relations from Southern Oregon State University but always had a passion to document life — be it creating a slideshow in high school or just at family events. When I met Edmonton filmmaker Terri Wynnyk, a lightbulb went off in my head… the idea of combining my love of photographing human life in action with building bridges of human understanding between people and cultures. This year is my 20th anniversary as a documentary filmmaker and I so fondly remember making my first documentary in Pakistan — a story about a Canadian nurse teaching at Aga Khan University in Karachi, and the amazing young women she took under her wing that were studying to become nurses in a society that desperately needed them. I look back and realize that the thread that connects all of my films is the same that inspired me to become a documentary filmmaker… to celebrate our shared humanity.
TELL US A BIT ABOUT REBELS ON POINTE. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO TELL THIS STORY?
BJH: For me, new film ideas come to me through serendipity. In this case, I was reading a Montreal newspaper and saw a colourful ad promoting a performance at Place des Arts, and was immediately fascinated by the heavily made-up faces of these smiling men wearing tutus and pointe shoes. My first thought was “Who ARE these human beings and how did their life evolve to become dancers in Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo!?” So, I called up the Artistic Director, Tory Dobrin, in New York that day, and he agreed to allow me to film backstage at the Montreal performance… footage of which, interestingly enough, became the opening scene of the film a few years later!
YOU HAD A FULL PLATE ON THIS PROJECT, TAKING ON THE ROLES OF DIRECTOR, PRODUCER, CAMERA OPERATOR, RESEARCHER, AND MORE. WHAT ENDED UP BEING YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE PROCESS?
BJH: I realize that I love filming by myself, but was SO thankful when I had camera people like Stephanie Weber Biron, Renald Bellemare, Jenni Morello, and Wes Doyle to shoot some of the cinema verité, live performances, and lovely sit down interviews you see in the film. Robbie Hart was my co-producer and I am honoured to have a village around me to help this film come to fruition, including editor Catherine Legault, and music from Jann Arden and Corey Hart. I would say my biggest challenge in making this film was trying to stay out of the way backstage as dancers zoomed on and off stage! Thank heavens for the Trocks’ amazing Isabel Martinez who plopped me around like a rag doll to make sure I didn’t have a head on collision with a swan flying into the wings!
WHAT DO YOU HOPE AUDIENCES TAKE AWAY FROM REBELS ON POINTE?
BJH: To me, this film is even more important today to than it was when I started filming a few years ago and I hope that audiences take away a sense of hope and desire to embrace our differences. I am so thrilled that the film has already won Audience Choice Award for Best Documentary at two film festivals and Best Feature Documentary at another… which to me is a reflection of how people are eager for this type of film and humanist message. As mentioned, my films are all about celebrating our shared humanity and encouraging empathy and tolerance… something that our world needs heavy doses of more than ever in today’s divisive political, cultural, and social climate, especially in the USA.
MOST OF YOUR FILMS HAVE FOCUS ON WOMEN. DO YOU FIND YOURSELF MORE INTERESTED IN TELLING THE STORIES OF WOMEN OR IS IT SIMPLY COINCIDENTAL?
BJH: Yes, all of my films thus far over the past 20 years, except Rebels On Pointe, have followed the stories of women… and I must admit that I am drawn to bringing women’s stories to light to celebrate their contributions and empathize with their struggles. There is a saying… “history is written by the victors”… and it is pretty harsh. It relates not only to how women’s “her”story has been buried but also the stories of first nations people or anyone who has been oppressed by others. So yes, I feel a responsibility to tell stories about women, to help inspire future generations of girls to believe in themselves and their own dreams. At the same time, I am ultimately drawn to stories of the underdog, and that can be anyone… including the wonderful men and boys of our world!
CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT SOME/ALL OF THE OTHER AMAZING WOMEN WHO WORKED ON THIS FILM?
BJH: My fab editor Catherine Legault helped me swim through over 100 hours of footage and craft a wonderful story. Stephanie Weber Biron (the DOP of filmmaker Xavier Dolan’s first two films) was the first DOP to help me capture amazing footage, as was Jenni Morello (DOP of Academy Award-winning doc Jesus Camp). My graphic designer Andrea White helped me design the wonderful poster and Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo General Manager Liz Harler and Associate Director/Production Manager Isabel Martinez were the fab women who helped me every step of the way to coordinate how and when to film with the company! And of course I was honoured to be able to use Jann Arden’s amazing song at the end of the film “Good Mother”. My 12 year old daughter Phoenix was an assistant as well on my UK shoot and even ended up on stage in the film when the Trocks invited her to deliver flowers during the Edinburgh performance.
TELL US ABOUT WHY YOU ARE A FEMINIST AND WHY IT’S IMPORTANT TO YOUR FILMMAKING.
BJH: Being a feminist is simply being a humanist. If one cares about equal rights, about human rights, then saying you are a “feminist” is simply an extension of that desire for an equal playing field for everyone on our planet. I was thrilled when our Prime Minister publicly stated he is a feminist, as the UN’s #HeForShe campaign is all about the vital importance of men standing up for women because we cannot have true equality without their support. I am a proud feminist and humanist, and documentary filmmaking is my canvas to bring about positive social, cultural, and political change through intimate human stories that help us care about each other through elements we all share — be it dreams, family, love, loss, determination, resilience, or the elusive alchemy of finding and pursuing our purpose in this life.
WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE WOMEN WORKING IN THE FILM INDUSTRY?
BJH: Although many women have inspired me over the years, I would have to say that my greatest mentor and inspiration has been filmmaker Anne Pick, who gave me my very first opportunity to direct and who has always been there for me over the years to offer unconditional support, advice, and a good laugh just when I needed it. She is what I like to call a “girl’s girl”… a female who is not threatened by other women, but who only wishes to help them grow and succeed.
Otherwise, I deeply admire activists/actresses Susan Sarandon and young Emma Watson, who has braved a lot of criticism in her role as UN Ambassador for the #HeForShe Campaign. I am also excited by the new all women production company We Do It Together, started by Frieda Pinto and several other amazing women whose mission is to empower women in the film industry to get their vital projects made.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE ABOUT FILMMAKING YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?
BJH: Hmmm, I would say that it was probably by Anne Pick — something about the fact that you’d better love the film you have decided to make because you will have to live with it for quite a LONG time until it is completed. And of course, to never, ever give up!
IF A MOVIE ABOUT YOUR LIFE WERE CREATED, WHO WOULD STAR AS YOU AND WHAT GENRE WOULD IT BE?
BJH: Oh geez, I can’t even imagine this because I so prefer being behind the camera! Haha!
WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW/NEXT?
BJH: I just completed a sizzle reel/demo for an epic new feature documentary about the most important all-girl rock ‘n roll band that no one has ever heard of — Fanny! David Bowie was a huge fan of the band and was quoted in Rolling Stone Magazine as saying, “Revivify Fanny. And my work will be done.” — so I’d like to think he is smiling down on me right now because I just filmed some members of the band (who are now calling themselves Fanny Walked the Earth) as they recorded a brand new, ROCKING album which will be released in early 2018 by Blue Elan Records. They are smashing the glass ceiling once again, this time not only for all women rock bands but the ceiling of diversity and ageism too — YEAH!
RECOMMEND ONE #MUFFAPPROVED FILM FOR OUR BLOG READERS:
BJH: I really LOVE the film Hidden Figures. It is not only a wonderful, engaging story with incredible actresses, but it resonates with me as a documentary filmmaker because someone dug up these stories which SHOULD have already been in the mainstream, and especially in our history/HERstory books. If we do not document women’s contributions and achievements, then they are as good as invisible — and I will continue to work hard to make women’s stories visible during my lifetime… for generations of girls and women to come.
Check out Bobbi Jo on Twitter and follow Rebels On Pointe’s official website and Facebook for up-to-date info on the film.
Lisa Gallagher is the Producer of The MUFF Society in Toronto and a member of the venue staff for the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema during the Hot Docs International Film Festival. She is a lover of cats, carbs, and laying down.
Follow her on Instagram and Letterboxd.
