White Knights – smARTfilms: Melodies in Motion

This Jazz-inspired film series celebrates the magic of music and dance through a medley of films, ranging from classic Hollywood musicals to modern cinematic expressions.

WHITE NIGHTS (1985, 120 min)

Nikolai ‘Kolya’ Rodchenko, a defector from the Soviet Union and renowned ballet dancer, crashes in Siberia on his way to a Tokyo performance and is recognized by KGB officer Colonel Chaiko. Chaiko arranges for Kolya and tap dancer Raymond Greenwood, also a defector, to be brought to Leningrad, where Kolya is pressured to perform at the Kirov Ballet and Raymond is tasked with his protection. Despite initial tensions, Kolya and Raymond forge a deep friendship, and when Raymond learns his wife Darya is pregnant, they plan an escape with the help of Kolya’s former lover, Galina. Raymond stays behind to delay capture and is eventually traded for a political prisoner, reuniting with Darya and Kolya in the end.