Based on an inspiring true story, the first 'Desert Dancer' trailer sees Pinto and a group of friends practicing some choreographed moves on the desert.
- Jan 27, 2015
AceShowbiz - Freida Pinto and her friends are passionate dancers in the first trailer for "Desert Dancer". Arriving online on Monday, January 26, the trailer sees Pinto ("Knight of Cups", "Slumdog Millionaire") and her friends practicing choreographed dance moves in suppressed society and risking their lives.
The movie centers on a real-life dancer Afshin Ghaffarian (played by Reece Ritchie). The video first shows him as a kid who gets punished at school for dancing in class. Afshin's passion, however, does not die. He learns dancing from videos of Michael Jackson, Gene Kelly and Rudolf Nureyev, and later creates his own dance company alongside some friends, including Pinto's Elaheh.
Despite potential prison sentence, the group keeps practicing their moves and even goes to desert. "If we go to the desert we can feel what it's like to breathe," Afshin says. The trailer ends with Afshin thinking of moving out from Iran to Paris. "Don't let anyone stop you, not even me," Elaheh tells him.
Directed by Richard Raymond, the movie kicks off the opening night of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theatre on Tuesday. "Raymond has delivered an extremely timely and thought-provoking movie about love, truth and the freedom that comes from following your passions," SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling said in a statement. "What better way to kick off our 30th anniversary!"
Also starring Nazanin Boniadi, Tom Cullen and Marmama Corlett, the inspiring pic will open in select theaters in the U.S. on April 10 before going wide on April 17.
