Finding Her Beat

Dawn Mikkelson, Keri Pickett / 2022 / 89min / USA, Japan

Dance to your own beat

A live-your-dream story from the streets of Mumbai to the stages of New York.

Manish is an athletic hip-hop dancer who struggles against his hard-working parents’ insistence that he follow a traditional career path. When he accidently walks into a dance class and encounters a curmudgeonly Israeli ballet master, a hunger develops within him. Ambitious and passionate, Manish is now determined to make it as a professional dancer, but the odds are stacked against him. When pitted against his parents’ wishes, he’s forced to push himself to his physical limits to prove he has what it takes. A story of perseverance, rebellion, family and an unlikely friendship.

Big Drums, Big Dreams

A group of women come together to form a Taiko drumming group in St. Paul, despite the historical exclusion of women from the art. Led by a Japanese drumming master and a Korean adoptee, the diverse group of women prepare for a performance amid the growing threat of COVID-19. With fierce determination and a passion for cultural expression, the women overcome personal challenges and logistical hurdles to put together a historic show. Through powerful drum performances and the bonds of sisterhood, director Mikkelson celebrates the transformative power of music and the resilience of the human spirit.