Heartbreak to Art,
Wounds become the medium; pain recut as art.
Client
CBC Arts
Project
Justin Gordon
Role
Direction, Cinematography, Post Supervision
Conceived as a ten‑film anthology, Heartbreak to Art set out to prove that creative practice isn’t just catharsis; it’s architecture for survival. Each spot was treated as an impressionistic portrait: floaty handheld, a powerful soundtrack and a restrained voice‑over that lets confession breathe. The brief was simple: show the exact moment pain turns into process, then capture the result of that alchemy.
From pre‑interviews to color grade, the production rhythm mirrored therapy. Shoots were previsualized around the artists’ actual creative rituals, so we could embed ourselves as much as possible into their process.
The series was released in tandem on CBCArts.ca and the network's 200k+ subscriber YouTube channel. Beyond the metrics, the real win is cultural durability: schools and youth‑services organizations requested clips for wellness programming, proving that these short‑form, elevated-documentary-style portraits can be both art and an actionable resource.
Justin Gordon,
Spoken-word poet Justin Gordon broke out on the slam circuit, anchoring the four-person Toronto Poetry Slam team that headlined Word On The Street 2016 a set the festival billed as “Word Wizardry” in its marquee lineup.
Building on that momentum, Gordon pivoted from stage to page, securing a $12,000 Ontario Arts Council Creation grant in 2018 to develop a full-length manuscript, part of a broader series of OAC awards that recognise his emerging voice.
His work, rooted in hip-hop cadence, rapid internal rhyme and reflective meditations on Black identity and mental health, now moves fluidly between high-energy performances and quietly crafted text. Concurrently, he mentors youth through community writing workshops and readies his debut collection for publication.
Director
First Last
Cinematographer
First Last
Color
Company
First Last
Online
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First Last
Audio
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First Last
Edit
Company
First Last
Production Company
Company
Conceived as a ten‑film anthology, Heartbreak to Art set out to prove that creative practice isn’t just catharsis; it’s architecture for survival. Each spot was treated as an impressionistic portrait: floaty handheld, a powerful soundtrack and a restrained voice‑over that lets confession breathe. The unified brief was simple: show the exact moment pain turns into process, then capture the result of that alchemy.
From pre‑interviews to color grade, the production rhythm mirrored therapy. Shoots were previsualized around the artists’ actual creative rituals, so we could embed ourselves as much as possible into their process.
The series was released in tandem on CBCArts.ca and the network's 200k+ subscriber YouTube channel. Beyond the metrics, the real win is cultural durability: schools and youth‑services organizations requested clips for wellness programming, proving that these short‑form, elevated-documentary-style portraits can be both art and an actionable resource.
Justin Gordon,
Spoken-word poet Justin Gordon broke out on the slam circuit, anchoring the four-person Toronto Poetry Slam team that headlined Word On The Street 2016 a set the festival billed as “Word Wizardry” in its marquee lineup.
Building on that momentum, Gordon pivoted from stage to page, securing a $12,000 Ontario Arts Council Creation grant in 2018 to develop a full-length manuscript, part of a broader series of OAC awards that recognise his emerging voice.
His work, rooted in hip-hop cadence, rapid internal rhyme and reflective meditations on Black identity and mental health, now moves fluidly between high-energy performances and quietly crafted text. Concurrently, he mentors youth through community writing workshops and readies his debut collection for publication.
Director
First Last
Cinematographer
First Last
Color
Company
First Last
Online
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First Last
Audio
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First Last
Edit
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First Last
Production Company
Company
CBC Arts
Client
Justin Gordon
Project
Director
First Last
Cinematographer
First Last
Color
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First Last
Online
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First Last
Audio
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First Last
Edit
Company
First Last
Production Company
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