“A Wolf Among Swans” is a 2024 biographical drama about renowned Brazilian dancer Thiago Soares. The feel-good movie shows how dedication and sacrifice to reach the top of one’s chosen art form can truly transcend socioeconomic predisposition.

    Thiago has talent. A street urchin living in a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, he works in a supermarket during the day to make ends meet, but really flourishes at night, practicing hip-hop with his friends. He is so gifted, in fact, that a talent scout spots him and tries to convince him to join a ballet academy, offering him a scholarship. The money, more than the prospect of classical dance, wins his heart.

    The wild young man, with no education or culture and not much discipline, enters a world where work and obedience are required of him. 

    The other very interesting character in the movie is his mentor, the much older Cuban teacher, Dino Carrera. The relationship between the two men is very rocky at first as the old man decides to invest in Thiago and has to tame his young energy. As time passes, trust and affection build, creating an everlasting bond. Their relationship is at the center of the movie; it is really the decisive factor that allows Thiago Soares to rise. If he had not met Carrera, if Carrera had not believed in him, if he had not respected his old mentor, Thiago might have become a good dancer, but not the international phenomenon he was in his prime.

    The film is directed by Marcos Schechtman and Helena Varvaki, with Matheus Abreu as Soares and Dario Grandinetti as Carrera. The rhythm, the cinematography, the music, come together beautifully to add the right amount of drama, tension, humor, and sensitivity to keep the audience engaged.

    There is always something touching about a true story. Even if the storyline of this movie is a bit predictable, the spectator knows that the hardship Thiago has to confront was real, that the prejudices he has to fight, his rises and falls, the friends he left behind, and the artistry he sought are based on the life of someone really called Soares.

    The now mature dancer commented about the movie at the Miami Inffinito Brazilian Film Festival, where the film received the Best Feature Film award: “We dance, we make films, we create art and cultural projects because we want to connect with others (...). By doing so, we come closer together, we understand life more deeply, we embrace transformation, and we discover what truly makes life worth living.” 

    Thiago Soares continues dancing today, at age 45. He has opened his own dance studio in Rio de Janeiro and is a guest artist around the world.
    The movie, brought to you by the local nonprofit the International Film Showcase, will open at the Orinda Theatre on March 20. Exact showtime and tickets at https://www.orindamovies.com/movies/