Only When I Dance
Director Beadie Finzi
Countries
Duration 78 min
Synopsis
Only When I Dance is a classic narrative documentary following two young teenagers, Isabela
and Irlan as they strive to realise an extraordinary dream. One girl, one boy; both black and poor,
and living in one of the most violent favelas on the outskirts of Rio. Irlan and Isabela both want to
dance – to dance ballet and their ambition is to leave Brazil to join one of the great companies in
the North. For them, dance is the way out, an escape, and on stage, an ecstasy, that is rarely
found in their day to day lives. The question is, can they make it? Only When I Dance follows
these two gifted teenagers during the year that will make or break all their future dreams.