Moving portrait of a competitive pole dancer.

While Francesco continuously keeps impressing us with his stylish film – see previous features ‘I Killer’(Top 10 2013), ‘The Shift’ and ‘Lovely Monster’ – he moves towards a visual documenting portrait in Spin Dreams. The story takes on a dramatic storytelling approach which turns the documentary style into a thrilling entertainment.

Images in popular culture still relegate pole dancing to the status of provocative ornament. The perception is not that of an athlete, rather of a calendar girl or sexual fantasy. While I didn’t intend to shame its sexualized form, I wanted to show the sacrifice, commitment, and determination required to become a top-ranked competitive pole dancer.

The film quickly lures us with provocative images but quickly dismissed that direction and in turn perhaps fooling the audience into a rewarding dynamic piece. Shot with a very small crew and just a steady cam here and there, Francesco relied heavily on the basics to drive the film’s style.