A film based on an incredible true story. Desert Dancer is a classic hero story about brave young people risking their lives to rebel against their government and fight for their dreams. Set in Iran, where it is currently forbidden to dance, the story follows Afshin Ghaffarian and his friends who despite the dangers form an underground dance company where, via hacking into YouTube, they learn from the very best - Michael Jackson, Pina Bausch, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev. Re... (Full plot summary below)
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A film based on an incredible true story. Desert Dancer is a classic hero story about brave young people risking their lives to rebel against their government and fight for their dreams. Set in Iran, where it is currently forbidden to dance, the story follows Afshin Ghaffarian and his friends who despite the dangers form an underground dance company where, via hacking into YouTube, they learn from the very best - Michael Jackson, Pina Bausch, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev. Reveling in the freedom of expression that dance gives them, they set upon putting on a performance deep in the desert, away from the watchful eyes of the military police.
Leave your thoughts about Desert Dancer.
| Baret NewsKam WilliamsA must-see biopic poignantly illustrating the indomitability of the human spirit, even in the most oppressive of circumstances. |
| Consequence of SoundCollin BrennanAs impressive as its dance sequences may be, Desert Dancer cannot overcome an intellectually lazy script that's as subtle as an eye-high leg kick. |
| Blu-ray.comBrian OrndorfUnsurprisingly, dancing is the highlight of "Desert Dancer," but it hardly receives the attention it deserves. |
| San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleIn the end, it’s hard to know whether to see the Iran of Desert Dancer in optimistic or pessimistic terms. Young people, especially, want to be free, but the other side has all the power. Having YouTube on your side certainly helps, but an army and some tanks can come in handy, too. |
| Hollywood ReporterFrank ScheckDesert Dancer too often lapses into generic cinematic clichés, failing to live up to the dramatic potential of its subject matter. |
| Epoch TimesJoe BendelCharacters' brief moments of freedom are stirringly depicted in Richard Raymond's based-on-fact bio-picture, Desert Dancer. |
| The DissolveNathan RabinDesert Dancer is blessed by a powerful sincerity. The filmmakers clearly believe the bromides offered about the life-affirming power of dance and artistic expression. The conviction that this story matters and deserves to be taken seriously gets the film over its occasional rough patches. |
| Eye for FilmAmber WilkinsonRaymond might sometimes hit his beats too hard but he does keep his eye on the bigger picture. |
| NOW TorontoNorman WilnerDespite that fact that Pinto is such a vital performer, her character's backstory is handled so clumsily that it feels like one more cliché thrown onto the pile. |
| MetroMatt PriggeThe characters are thin and the villains are one-note, but one gets worked up anyway, much as one gets played by a solid romance - or a dance movie. |
