Mao's Last Dancer

When I saw the ad for this I thought it was gonna be just another dance movie. But this interview convinced me otherwise. Maos Last Dancer is a true story of this brilliant man and his long and complex journey from a remote village in China to the glamorous world of ballet in the US. In particular his descriptions of how poor his family was that they often went to bed hungry and how his mother stoically encouraged him to leave her for a better life was particularly moving. The movie did not disappoint. It is a story that seems to have kept very close to the voice of the author. The dancing was brilliant at many parts. But it did not take away the deeper suffering, anxieties and sacrifices that a person makes when trapped between two opposing ideological masters. One who represents your past. The other who represents your future. Ultimately Li Cunxin follows his heart and stands up for what he feels is true to his craft. That dancing ballet in the US makes him feel more free.