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Clip description
In the US, Li (Chi Cao) spots a student ballerina (Amanda Schull) practising and goes to help her. They talk and laugh as he holds her in the air.
Curator’s notes
This quiet and graceful scene marks a major turning point in the story. Liz turns out to be not only Li’s future wife but also the woman who will lead to his wanting to defect to the US. Symbolically, the sunnily life-affirming Liz represents the freedom of the west.
The casting of the San Francisco Ballet-trained Schull (previously best known in film for the US ballet movie Center Stage, 2000) was a coup. Her natural beauty combines with an unaffected charm and (in later scenes) a hint of sensitivity to make her irresistibly attractive to Li.
