MAO'S LAST DANCER

Author Li Cunxin
Publisher Penguin Books

In a small poor village in China, a young peasant boy sits at his old school desk, interested more in the birds outside than in Chairman Mao’s Red Book and the grand words it contains. But that day some strange men come to his school – Madame Mao’s cultural delegate looking for young peasants to mould into faithful guards of Chairman Mao’s great vision for China. This is the true story of how that chance moment in time changed the course of a small boy’s life in ways that are beyond description. One day he would dance with some of the greatest ballet companies of the world, be a friend to a president, movie stars and the most influential people in America. One day he would become a star: Mao’s last dancer, and the darling of the West.

Aust. 117 min Rated PG Dir: Bruce Beresford
Cast: Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen, Chi Cao

Mao’s Last Dancer captures the intoxicating effects of first love and celebrity, the pain of exile, and ultimately the triumph of individual endeavour over ideology. Filmed in China, the US and Australia with a brilliant performance from Chi Cao as Li Cunxin and directed by Australian, Bruce Beresford, Mao’s Last Dancer is an exhilarating exploration of what it means to be free.

Does the film adaptation leave out anything from Li's story that you thought was important in the book?