Desert Dancer

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Desert Dancer

PG-13

2015

1h 44m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

31%

Tomatometer

42 Reviews

62%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

In the volatile political and social climate of 2009 Tehran, Afshin Ghaffarian 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 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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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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Wendy Ide

Guardian

Apr 21, 2016

2/5

It is montage heavy and toe-curlingly naive.

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Nick De Semlyen

Empire Magazine

Apr 21, 2016

2/5

It strives to be a rousing tale of rebellion, but the over-earnest result is more slow shuffle than kicky capoeira.

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Geoff Pevere

Globe and Mail

Apr 17, 2015

2/4

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.

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Feb 3, 2021

2/5

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.

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Bernard Boo

Way Too Indie

Mar 14, 2019

7/10

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.

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Mae Abdulbaki

Punch Drunk Critics

Aug 14, 2018

2.5/5

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.

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Mike W

@MikeW269 Dec 23, 2024

The story reinforces my notions of life in Iran. I enjoyed it and found a degree of admiration for the characters' bravery. It showed how completely the authoritarians control their public and leaves little doubt as to why the grey beards have not been overthrown.

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Danton M

@RT48319521 Mar 23, 2024

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.

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May 11, 2018

The story alone is magical

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peter b

@PeterBisson Nov 21, 2016

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.

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Aug 29, 2016

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.

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Apr 28, 2016

enjoyed only the dancing scenes

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Richard Raymond

Director

Freida Pinto

Elaheh

Reece Ritchie

Afshin Ghaffarian

Tom Cullen

Ardavan

Nazanin Boniadi

Parisa Ghaffarian

Makram Khoury

Mehdi

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Synopsis

In the volatile political and social climate of 2009 Tehran, Afshin Ghaffarian 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 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: Greene Light Films, May 13 Films, Star Land kpc, 6Sales, Lipsync Productions, BluePencilSet, Relativity, Rostik Investment Group, Sarah Arison Productions
Rating: PG-13 (Thematic Elements|Some Drug Material|Violence)
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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