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UNBROKEN: The Untold Story of Shen Yun is the first documentary to tell the behind-the-scenes story of Shen Yun Performing Arts, following a group of young artists as they keep taking the stage under pressure and interference.
The world-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts presents five thousand years of Chinese civilization through classical Chinese dance and has risen to global acclaim. At the same time, Shen Yun has become the target of escalating smear campaigns, threats and interference, all alleged to be linked to the Chinese Communist Party.
Director Fiona Young gained rare exclusive access to follow several Shen Yun artists, documenting an extraordinary journey, from typical American childhoods to the world's most prestigious stages, and the turmoil they encountered in training and on global tours.
Through the first-hand experiences of young Shen Yun dancers and in-depth investigative reporting, UNBROKEN: The Untold Story of Shen Yun shows what happens when art, faith and freedom collide head-on with authoritarian power, and how, under pressure and intimidation, they persevere with resilience, unity and a mission of cultural revival so that their beliefs and traditions endure.
Investigative documentary
March 24, 2026
AMC Lincoln Square 13, New York
Fiona Young
Steve Lance
Sincere Pictures
This is not just a film about dance; it is a human story of perseverance, resilience and triumph.
When a performing company presents content that touches on sensitive history and faith, can the stage itself become a battleground? UNBROKEN documents the interference and pressure Shen Yun Performing Arts encountered on its tours.
From typical American childhoods, to hours of classical Chinese dance training every day, to the stages of the world's top theaters, UNBROKEN presents the full arc of these young Shen Yun dancers' growth.
The perspectives of the dancers' parents, families and medical staff are rarely mentioned in mainstream coverage. UNBROKEN lets the families of Shen Yun dancers speak for themselves.
UNBROKEN asks: when a culture is suppressed in its homeland, how can a young generation living overseas take it up and pass it on?
UNBROKEN examines mainstream media narratives about Shen Yun, points to the perspectives left out, and asks how those gaps came to be. That is also why the film has become a discussion text for media-literacy classes (see the school case study).
After receiving threats, do you stop performing or keep taking the stage? UNBROKEN records the choices made by Shen Yun artists and theater staff.
