Bruce Beresford, the Academy Award-nominated director of Breaker Morant, Tender Mercies, Driving Miss Daisy, and Crimes of the Heart, will discuss his remarkable career as a director and screenwriter, in a conversation accompanied by clips from his finest films. This special evening will be presented by Museum of the Moving Image on Tuesday, August 3, at 7:00 p.m. at Scandinavia House. The conversation, moderated by Chief Curator David Schwartz, will be followed by a preview screening of Beresford's acclaimed new film Mao's Last Dancer (opening August 20).
Beresford, one of Australia's most celebrated filmmakers, was a key member of the Australian film renaissance in the 1970s and 1980s. He was first nominated for an Oscar in 1980 for the script of Breaker Morant, then again in 1984 for directing Tender Mercies (which won Robert Duvall the Oscar for Best Actor); Driving Miss Daisy, which he directed, won the Best Picture Oscar in 1989. His new film, Mao's Last Dancer, is based on the remarkable true story of Chinese-born ballet dancer Li Cunxin, a poverty-stricken boy who rises to international stardom as a world-class dancer. The film stars Chi Cao, a gifted dancer and principal at the Birmingham Royal Ballet making his impressive screen debut as Li. The cast also includes Bruce Greenwood, Kyle MacLachlan, Joan Chen and Amanda Schull.
Mao's Last Dancer (2009, 117 mins.) is being released theatrically by Samuel Goldwyn Films and ATO Pictures on August 20. To view a trailer, visit http://www.maoslastdancer-movie.com.Videos