Desert Dancer

Plot

Set in Iran, the story follows the ambition of Afshin Ghaffarian. During the volatile climate of the 2009 presidential election, Afshin and some friends (including Elaheh played by Freida Pinto) risk their lives and form an underground dance company. The group learned the dancing from videos of Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev even though the online videos are banned. Afshin and Elaheh also learn much from each other and learned how to embrace their passion for dance and for one another.

Cast

Production

Richard Raymond who is making his full-length debut and is working with acclaimed choreographer Akram Khan, whose work featured in the Olympic opening ceremony at London 2012. Richard Raymond is producing the film through his May 13 Films banner. Freida Pinto undertook an intensive training schedule for the role that comprised eight hours of dance rehearsals every day for 14 weeks. Photo call for the film was held at the Palais des Festivals during the third day of the 65th annual Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France on Friday May 18, 2012. Relativity Media has acquired North America distribution rights to the film at 2013 American Film Market.

Release

Desert Dancer premiered in Germany on July 3, 2014. It opened the Ischia Global Film and Music Fest in Ischia, Italy on July 13, 2014. The film premiered in Hong Kong on August 28, 2014 and in the United States on April 10, 2015.

Critical Reception

The film received a mixed reception from critics. It holds a 32% fresh rating on the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes.