The 16mm film follows ten men as they explore masculinity through somatic workshops including Rebirthing Breathwork, Emotional Freedom Tapping and Dance Movement Psychotherapy. Through the body and breath, these workshops invite participants into unconscious and childlike states, creating alternative spaces in which ideas of masculinity can be questioned and dismantled.
The title references Yvonne Rainer’s performance The Mind Is a Muscle (1966–68), connecting histories of feminist dance with the contemporary use of body-based therapies to reconsider masculinity.
The film shares aspects of the group’s experiences through 16mm footage and drawings made during the therapeutic sessions. As part of the wider social project, the group participated in a somatic consent session during which participants could veto any images of themselves. The project also established a social contract granting each participant an equal financial share in any income generated through the artwork’s distribution.
Group Members | Ree Bradley, Melvin Dsouza, Sam de Gruchy, Jonathan Hansler, Lamar Lawrence, Ilkin Mengusoglu, Scott Milburn, Steve Paul, Stephen Vatikiotis and Shiyao Zhang
Somatic Experiencing | Steven Ebbers
Rebirthing Breathwork | Johanna Greenish
Emotional Freedom Tapping / Picture Tapping Technique | Andrew Okaro
Dance Movement Psychotherapy | Geoffrey Unkovich
Workshop Support and Somatic Consent | Verinder Sharma
Project Support & Therapeutic Consultant | Rose Jiggens
Co-producer | Karina Sellars-Hardy
Cinematography | Oscar Oldershaw
Sound Recordist | Joe Campbell
16mm Camera Assistant | Andrew Alexander
Editing and Sound Design | Ree Bradley
Supported by | The Elephant Trust; Ugly Duck
Special Thanks | Deen Atger, Sasha Litvintseva, Tommy Norman, Blanca Pujals, Solveig Qu Suess, Beny Wagner, Sasha Webb, Ben Webb