Broward Premiere / USA / 2025 / English / 60 min / Documentary, Ballet, Asian American
Director, Writer: Jennifer Lin; Producers: Jon Funabiki, Cory Lin Stieg, Jennifer Lin.
Contact: jenniferritalin@gmail.com
Two Asian American dancers try to persuade the world’s leading ballet companies to jettison Asian stereotypes, including dancing in yellowface. Georgina Pazcoguin and Phil Chan battle entrenched tradition and political pushbacks as they shine a critical spotlight on The Nutcracker and other beloved classics in this vivid account of cultural missteps and creative evolution.
Director Biography – Jennifer Lin is an award-winning journalist who worked as a correspondent for The Philadelphia Inquirer in China, New York and Washington, D.C. Her first documentary, Beethoven in Beijing, premiered on PBS’s Great Performances in April 2021.
Director Statement
Growing up, my daughter was a serious ballet student and like all “bunheads,” her first performance was in The Nutcracker. But when she was cast in the Chinese dance, we both cringed. My father is Chinese, and we found everything about it insulting. But, in the world of ballet, you can’t speak up. Artistic directors wield extraordinary power. Complain at your own peril.
When we heard about the Final Bow for Yellowface movement, we both had the same reaction: This would make a powerful film. We want to use the rarefied world of ballet to show why representation in the arts matter.
In late 2020, we reached out to Phil Chan, starting a series of conversations that has led to his willingness to work with us. Georgina Pazcoguin, too, is cooperating fully.
As consulting producer, Cory Stieg brings to the team a deep knowledge of the dance world. A classically trained dancer, she has written extensively about dance for Dance Magazine, the NYC Dance Project, Good Housekeeping and Refinery29.
Meanwhile, producer Jon Funabiki—journalist, philanthropist, and educator—adds a deep commitment to advocating for equity in media for Asian Americans. His work has included studies of media stereotypes of Asian Americans and other people of color.