The true story of Li Cunxin and his journey from rural China to the bright lights of ballet stardom is brought to the screen in this biographical drama from director Bruce Beresford. In 1972, eleven year old Li Cunxin (Huang Wenbin) was living with his parents Niang (Joan Chen) and Dia (Wang Shuangbao) and six siblings while attending a tumbledown school in Shandog province. Li's life changed when representatives of Madame Mao's Beijing Dance Academy visited his school, and he was one of several students believed to have promise as a dancer. In 1981, Li (now played by Chi Cao) was chosen to travel to the United States as part of a student exchange with the Houston Ballet Company. As Li came to love life in the United States, he also fell for an attractive young dancer, Elizabeth (Amanda Schull), and when his time in America drew to a close, he made the decision to leave his old life behind and pursue a life of personal and creative freedom in America.
Genre: Drama
Rating: PG
Starring: Chi Cao Joan Chen Kyle MacLachlan Bruce Greenwood Amanda Schull
Released: 7th July