OUR BODY ELECTRIC follows three elite women bodybuilders competing to be Ms. Olympia, the most coveted muscle show title. Offering a behind-the-scenes look at women sculpting themselves into anatomical works of art, this feature-length film is both a testament to the power of athletics and an intimate portrait of women defying societal expectations.
SYNOPSIS
Each athlete is an individual with her own intricate story and reason to be in bodybuilding, and their struggles reveal themes and issues with which many women deal such as notions of beauty, male-dominance, self-acceptance, and motherhood. We follow Ariel Khadr as she wrestles with the decision to either pursue the elusive 1st place title, a dream she's chased her entire adult life, or retire and start a family; Amanda Kohatsu as she struggles to achieve her own dreams while supporting her partner's burgeoning career in the same sport; and Chelsea Dion as she weighs her coach's advice to bulk up to make physique improvements with the inevitable loss of income and status she'll experience if she gains body fat.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Director Dana Reilly
Dana Reilly is a documentary filmmaker. Her films are intimate and collaborative, exploring how work, love, and family shape women's sense of self. She is grateful to those who share their stories and time with her.
Her short film, MS DIVA TRUCKER, premiered at Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in 2021, won the Jury Award at the PBS Shorts Festival and is currently available to stream on NoBudge.com. Her most recent film, a personal documentary, FAVORITE DAUGHTER, screened globally at festivals including Telluride, DOC NYC, and DocAviv, was picked up by MTV Documentary Films, and is currently streaming on Paramount+.
Born in New York City, she spent her formative years in London, England. She recently earned her MFA in Film Production from the University of Texas at Austin and holds a BA in International Relations from Brown University.
Producer Maggie M. Bailey
Maggie M. Bailey is an award-winning producer and director, working in both narrative and documentary. Her work explores movement, the body, and human rights, serving as a platform for unheard voices and niche communities. Her past work as a producer has screened in festivals both nationally and internationally including Slamdance, DOC NYC, New Orleans Film Festival, EnergaCAMERIMAGE, BAMcinemaFest, and more. Her short animated documentary SWEET SWEET KINK: A COLLECTION OF BDSM STORIES premiered at SXSW in 2019 and is now streaming with PinkLabel.TV. She worked as a producer on SHOUTING DOWN MIDNIGHT, which premiered at SXSW in 2022 and is now streaming on Peacock with MSNBC’s series The Turning Point. She is currently in post-production on a short documentary about feminist activism in Mexico co-produced by PBS/Latino Public Broadcasting.
She is the 2022 recipient of the Producers' Guild of America's Debra Hill Fellowship. She is based in Austin, TX.
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Women Make Movies (WMM), Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit media arts organization registered with the New York Charities Bureau of New York State and accepts charitable donations on behalf of this project. Your donation will be spent by the filmmaker(s) toward the production and completion of this media project. No services or goods are provided by Women Make Movies, the filmmaker(s) or anyone else associated with this project in exchange for your charitable donation.
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