On Demand

Our Dance of Revolution

by Phillip Pike

Award-winning documentary on the history of Black queer activism in Toronto, on communities that have faced every adversity from invisibility to police brutality.

2019 · 1h42m · Canada

English, French

English, French subs

About the Film

“We are people of revolution. We’re here because others have rebelled. Because others have stood in solid resistance!”

Listening to Angela, a Black lesbian feminist who is rousing a crowd, we understand that, no, this particular revolution wasn’t televised. Rather, from out of the shadows, it was embraced, chanted, marched and danced into existence.

OUR DANCE OF REVOLUTION tells the story of how Black queer folks in Toronto faced every adversity, from invisibility to police brutality, and rose up to become a vibrant, triple-snap-fierce community. Capturing first-person accounts and invaluable archival photographs across a span of four decades, this feature-length documentary is more than a previously untold oral history, more than a reclamation of unsung people and events.

Through director Phillip Pike’s lens, we glimpse at the central role historically played by Black lesbians in Toronto’s queer community, the impact of the HIV epidemic and grassroots efforts for education and support, the distinction of Toronto’s Church Street drag queens, and the defiance of Blockorama to the whiteness of Pride. OUR DANCE OF REVOLUTION is ultimately a human-scale reckoning of how audacious individuals find themselves by connecting with others, and how they muster the courage, tenacity, and creativity to prevail against the forces of marginalization.

For all booking inquiries, please contact: info [at] mcintyre [dot] ca

Upcoming Screenings

Stay tuned for upcoming screenings!

Festivals and Awards

2019

Hot Docs, Official Selection (World Premiere)

2019

KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival , Official Selection (International Premiere)

Editor

Eugene Weis

Cinematographer

Jack Weisman

Soundtrack Composer

Gavin Bradley

About the Director

Phillip Pike

Phillip Pike is an emerging documentary filmmaker. As a graduate of McGill University’s Faculty of Law, Phillip’s journey of personal and professional discovery has taken him from a career creating change as a community activist and human rights lawyer to a career creating change through storytelling as an independent documentary filmmaker.

He is a graduate of the Documentary Filmmaking Institute (School of Creative Arts & Animation, Seneca College, Toronto). He also received intensive training in video production at Trinity Square Video in Toronto and the Bay Area Video Coalition in San Francisco.

Completed in 2003, his first documentary, Songs of Freedom, tells compelling stories of courage and hope of gays and lesbians living in Jamaica. Critically acclaimed and well received by audiences, Songs of Freedom was an official selection at several film festivals and was acquired for broadcast across North America on a specialty TV channel. OUR DANCE OF REVOLUTION is Phillip’s third film and second feature.