AUDIENCE & JURY AWARD, BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT - Annapolis International Film Festival | AUDIENCE AWARD, DOCUMENTARY SHORT - Berkshire International Film Festival | "In just under thirty minutes, Lin will take you on a beautiful ride that will have you wanting to return again and again." -The Ballet Herald
Pressure for people of color to be "ten times better" in order to succeed in America • Elevating Forgotten History • Lost History • AAPI Pioneer in the Performing Arts • Struggles against Racial Biases • Resilience and Perseverance
Date of Completion: 2024 | Run Time: 31 minutes | Language: English | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director: Jennifer Lin | Producers: Jon Funabiki, Jennifer Lin & Cory Stieg | Editor: Rachel Sophia Stewart | Director of Photography: Paul van Haute
George Lee is an 88-year-old blackjack dealer who still works five days a week, a beloved figure in the pit of a downtown Las Vegas casino. None of the card players — and few of his coworkers — know of this humble man’s astonishing background: a child dance prodigy and refugee from Shanghai who became a teenage sensation in the original staging of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker exactly 70 years ago, performing the “Tea” divertissement. George’s story is uniquely American: an immigrant striving to prove himself as an Asian pioneer in ballet and on Broadway, where he was cast by Gene Kelly for the original production of Flower Drum Song. TEN TIMES BETTER is a tale of talent and perseverance in the face of hardship, and a reminder of the extraordinary stories behind the nameless faces all around us.
Connie Chung, Journalist and Former CBS News anchor
"An extraordinary film. His story is my story. Different profession, different gender, but the same resonance."
Playwright David Henry Hwang, Creator M. Butterfly & Yellow Face
"It's compelling, heartwarming, impressive and important. A wonderful film."
New York City Ballet | Chun wai Chan, Principal Dancer
"This is wonderful. This film truly makes my heart full."
New York City Ballet | Edward Villella, Former Principal Dancer
"A phenomenal documentary. People will be stunned and amazed."
The New York Times | Siobhan Burke, Reporter
"From Ballet to Blackjack, a dance pioneer's amazing Odyssey."
Conversations on Dance | Michael Sean Breeden, Host
"An inspiring story. I can't tell you how moving and beautiful it is"
The Ballet Herald | Cherilyn J. Lee, Editor
"In just under thirty minutes, Lin will take you on a beautiful ride that will have you wanting to return again and again."
AWARDS
Audience & Jury Award, Best Documentary Short | Annapolis Film Festival
Audience Award, Documentary Short | Berkshire International Film Festival
Outstanding Excellence | Depth of Field International Film Festival
FESTIVALS
American Dance Festival Movies By Movers
American Documentary and Animation Film Festival
CAAMFEST
Cordillera International Film Festival
Dance On Camera Festival
Hamptons Doc Fest
Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival
Reading FilmFEST
San Francisco Dance Film Festival
St. Louis International Film Festival