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Desert Dancer

Play trailer Poster for Desert Dancer PG-13 Released Apr 17, 2015 1h 44m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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30% Tomatometer 43 Reviews 62% Popcornmeter 1,000+ Ratings
In the volatile political and social climate of 2009 Tehran, Afshin Ghaffarian (Reece Ritchie) and a group of dancers start a secret dance company in the Iranian desert, far from the prying eyes of the government police. Along with a woman named Elaheh (Freida Pinto) who helps them refine their skills, Afshin and his company use what little Internet they can access to learn moves from banned videos starring legends like Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev.
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Desert Dancer

Desert Dancer

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Critics Consensus

Desert Dancer never finds an agreeable rhythm, resulting in a musical drama that doesn't deliver on the promised spectacle or political commentary.

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Critics Reviews

View All (43) Critics Reviews
Wendy Ide Guardian It is montage heavy and toe-curlingly naive. Rated: 2/5 Apr 21, 2016 Full Review Nick De Semlyen Empire Magazine It strives to be a rousing tale of rebellion, but the over-earnest result is more slow shuffle than kicky capoeira. Rated: 2/5 Apr 21, 2016 Full Review Geoff Pevere Globe and Mail There would seem to be only one thing that the act of dancing cannot free the characters in Desert Dancer from, and that's the movie they're in. Rated: 2/4 Apr 17, 2015 Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse Contains important messages about human rights, cultural liberty and the significance of artistic expression but, despite the real-life source material, is weighed down with clichés. Rated: 2/5 Feb 3, 2021 Full Review Bernard Boo Way Too Indie On a grand scale, Ghaffarian's story of putting his life on the line to create art is poignant and inspirational. It's a stirring reminder of art's true vitality. Rated: 7/10 Mar 14, 2019 Full Review Mae Abdulbaki Punch Drunk Critics Bogged down by trying to be two very separate things and dragging its plot for a bit more time than it should have. A film with a lot of potential, but unfortunately underwhelming. Rated: 2.5/5 Aug 14, 2018 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (27) audience reviews
Danton M Incredible dancing is worth your time! The storyline might be a bit heavy handed, but it presents a very timely message about the negative impact of religious conservative radicals on self-expression. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/23/24 Full Review Frances H Not a bad effort. The dancing is good, and the glimpse into what a fanatical dictatorship does to the human spirit is true. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/14/18 Full Review Audience Member The story alone is magical Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/11/18 Full Review peter b At first it seems incredibly naive,but hey this a true story about a repressive regime and artists who will perform their art ...and maybe die. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This was a little slow, but overall an entertaining movie. The dance in the desert was beautiful and totally made up for the dramatic slower moments. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member enjoyed only the dancing scenes Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In the volatile political and social climate of 2009 Tehran, Afshin Ghaffarian (Reece Ritchie) and a group of dancers start a secret dance company in the Iranian desert, far from the prying eyes of the government police. Along with a woman named Elaheh (Freida Pinto) who helps them refine their skills, Afshin and his company use what little Internet they can access to learn moves from banned videos starring legends like Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev.
Director
Richard Raymond
Producer
Pippa Cross, Fabiola Beracasa Beckman, Izabella Miko, Luis Astorquia
Screenwriter
Jon Croker
Distributor
Relativity Media
Production Co
Star Land kpc, Rostik Investment Group, BluePencilSet, 6Sales, May 13 Films, Lipsync Productions, Relativity, Sarah Arison Productions, Greene Light Films
Rating
PG-13 (Violence|Thematic Elements|Some Drug Material)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 17, 2015, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 14, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA)
$153.5K
Runtime
1h 44m
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