Synopsis

Toronto’s historic Hanlan’s Point beach is the oldest recognized naturist beach in the world. This 20-minute documentary unpacks what being naked in nature means to six eclectic beachgoers, and explores naturism as a practice of authenticity, acceptance, and peaceful defiance.

Shot on an iPhone by two first-time filmmakers, the stripped-down film embraces its amateur aesthetic, weaving candid beachside interviews with retro camcorder footage and campy stop-motion sequences. Entertaining, educational, and heartfelt, its frequent moments of comedy give levity to the deeper, human questions at the heart of the film: Can we truly be comfortable with ourselves if we can’t be comfortable with our bodies? Can being naked help us to see each other’s humanity? And what might we find if we could let go of our fear of being seen?

About

In the Summer of 2025, journalist McKenna Hart and beach regular Mao met on the beach. Shorlty after, the unlikely duo set out with an iphone, a used camcorder, and a couple of clip mics to make a documentary.

Filmed against a backdrop of growing social divisions, political tension, and rising conservatism, this distinctly Canadian story offers Hanlan’s Point Beach as an example of what the world might look like if we could all be a little more like beach people.

Created by:

McKenna Hart and Mao-Siew Ramos Lam

Produced and Edited by:

McKenna Hart

This film was 100% independantly funded

Contact

McKenna Hart: mckenna.e.hart@gmail.com