My fascination/undying love for Mikhail Baryshnikov is matter of public record, so I make no apologies for indulging in it for my June picks; and whilst we are not subject to white nights in the UK we are approaching the summer solstice, so it seemed (tenuously) topical for this month.
'White Nights' was released in 1985 and directed by Taylor Hackford it stars Mikhail Baryshnikov, Gregory Hines, Isabella Rossellini and Helen Mirren, with choreography by Twyla Tharp.
The central themes of the narrative are dance and defection, Nikolai (Baryshnikov) is a Russian Ballet dancer who defected to the west and now dances internationally as a star (Baryshnikov, in real life, defected in 1974 whilst on tour in Canada); when his plane is forced to make an emergency landing on Soviet soil, the authorities are very pleased to have him back as a citizen and an artiste.
Raymond (Hines) is an American Tap dancer; who has defected to the Soviet Union for reasons of politics and love. The KGB unite them with the hope that Raymond will bond with Nikolai and convince him to perform at The Kirov for the opening night of the new season.
The film is available on DVD and also to buy or rent digitally.
This film has a special connection (scroll to the bottom of the page) for me and has provided a great deal of inspiration, not only for the name but also for the creation of this site.
Commentaires