Dance Subaru on AllMovie

A young girl finds a desperately-needed escape from a tumultuous past via professional dance, in this deeply emotional melodrama - a co-production of Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong and South Korea. Though merely 17 years old, Subaru bears on her shoulders the weight of a lifetime of trauma. Her mother and twin brother died long ago from the same hereditary illness, which left her dad lonely, depressed, isolated and incommunicative. Subaru discovered a release, however, beginning at the age of 10 - thanks to a strict but compassionate strip-club owner (filmmaker Kaori Mamoi) who encouraged her to slip into ballet shoes and channel her inner turmoil through the art of dance. The approach worked - Subaru finds a level of ecstasy in ballet performance that exceeds anything else in her world - but she must still learn to contend with the day-to-day difficulties that life throws into her path. Lee Chi-ngai directs.