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"Off the Floor" is a documentary about a bunch of strippers.
Yes, you read that right, but I'm being purposefully misleading. In fact, this film's aim is to completely debunk that statement and others like it, that pole dancing is just a way for exotic dancers to practice, then claim what they are doing is an art form.
Directors Kate and Matt Celia go to great lengths to show society's misconceptions of pole dancing, showing celebrities from Anderson Cooper to Whoopi Goldberg to Oprah Winfrey all questioning pole dancing's legitimacy.
And while indeed its roots may or may not have been in less reputable avenues, Jessica Anderson-Gwin seeks to bring respect to what she has developed as her craft; think a less acrobatic Cirque du Soleil. Jessica develops her art form, and assembles and trains a troupe to perform routines. They soon find themselves on television talk shows, then auditioning for "America's Got Talent."
The movie is more or less typical of a doc of this type: people fighting against stereotypes to prove what they are doing is worthwhile, leading up to some sort of competition. Here, it's done well if not spectacularly, and the characters are likable and worthy if not endearing.
"Off the Floor" is a solid documentary, a film that challenges you to look past society's norms and prejudices and approach a subject with a non-judgmental mindset. It's perfectly at place at Heartland, and is well worthwhile.