‘The White Crow’ Trailer: Ralph Fiennes Directs & Stars In Biopic About World-Famous Russian Ballet Dancer

First came “The Black Swan” and now comes “The White Crow.” There’s always something about the world of dance that invites provocative multi-faceted examinations of a person’s psyche. It always raises the question of, how far is one willing to push themselves?

Ralph Fiennes (“Schindler’s List,” “The English Patient”) explores this question through the story of the world-famous Russian ballet dancer, Rudolf Nureyev, who sought asylum in France during the ‘60s at the height of the Cold War. The film, which Fiennes directs and stars in, explores the rise of Nureyev’s career and insight into his defection.

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While there probably won’t be hallucinations and cold-blooded murder this time around, this biopic screened at the Telluride Film Festival and definitely seems to allude to some intense and unpredictable experiences. It promises an introspective look at the rise of a career and the cultural barriers that shaped who he was and the legacy he left behind. Not to mention, a mentorship from a teacher–perhaps the most essential ingredient to any character study of a dancer.

Fiennes seems to have a fondness for literary drama, having served both as director and actor in projects such as “The Invisible Woman,” a story about Charles Dickens, and “Coriolanus,” a Shakespeare story. And he doesn’t step back this time from this literary world, having worked with playwright-screenwriter David Hare (“The Reader”) for ‘White Crow.’ It will be interesting to see how Fiennes’ creative vision pours out in the world of dance and choreography.

Starring as Nureyev will be dancer Oleg Ivenko who will make his first on-screen acting debut. Alongside Ivenko stars Adèle Exarchopoulos (“Blue Is The Warmest Color”) as Clara Saint and Fiennes as the Russian ballet teacher, Alexander Pushkin. The cast also includes dancer Sergei Polunin, Chulpan Khamatova, Olivier Rabourdin, Raphaël Personnaz, and Louis Hofmann.

“The White Crow” will open in March in the UK and at an unannounced date in the US.

You can watch the trailer below: