Attendees at recent screenings of the documentary “Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun” in Hollywood said the film moved them, as they reflected on artistic dedication and were made newly appreciative of the freedoms they often take for granted.
The New York-based classical Chinese dance and music company was founded in 2006 by leading classical Chinese artists whose stated mission is to revive China’s traditional culture.
Pamela London Franck attended the screening at AMC The Grove 14 in Los Angeles on Wednesday night. Despite never having seen Shen Yun because of negative reporting around the show, she decided to attend the documentary.
“I am so moved and so grateful to actually see the truth,” Franck said.
She said she hopes the film will clear up misinformation and encourage people to value their freedoms.
“I’m really, really praying that people will see this film and take it to heart, and I think it’s going to really clear up a lot of the misinformation, and it will be motivating for people, just from their heart, to make a change and really maybe pay more attention to our freedoms that we have in this country and ... the freedom that’s being threatened,” she said.
She came away impressed by the passion and sacrifice of the performers.
“The passion of the actual performers, how passionate they are about their work and what they do,” Franck said. She compared their routine to that of athletes who train long hours away from family.
“I think everyone should see it.”
Kelly Presta, executive vice president at First Media, attended Wednesday’s screening in Los Angeles, calling the documentary “very inspirational.”
“It’s interesting to see people with such courage who can carry on in the face of such adversity that they’re facing,” Presta said.
She noted the stories of company members who spoke about family members who had endured persecution in China, “and yet they had the courage of their convictions to stay with the group, really, to, in a way, honor their loved ones.”
Presta had seen a Shen Yun performance in Los Angeles in January. She said the film carries a message even for people unfamiliar with the organization.
“I think a lot of people probably haven’t heard of it, and what this really would do for you is inspire you to care about your freedom and your right to speak out,” Presta said. “So, I think it’s a very inspirational movie, even for those who know nothing about the organization at all.”
The documentary is currently screening in Southern California, including a red carpet premiere Wednesday night in Los Angeles at AMC The Grove, as well as a screening Thursday night in Newport Beach at Regal Edwards Big Newport.
“Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun” portrays Shen Yun performers during their training and family time, and reveals their dedication to preserving traditional Chinese culture through their art.
Orange County
Attendees at Thursday’s screening at the Regal Edwards Big Newport in Newport Beach said the film offered a personal view of the artists behind the classical Chinese dance and music company and noted its themes of perseverance and commitment to family.Attorney Mark Armijo, who had previously seen Shen Yun performances three times, said the documentary changed his perspective from the performers’ onstage work to their personal lives, adding he was disappointed by recent New York Times coverage of the company.
“It was a great movie—just shed a lot of light,” Armijo said.
He remained hopeful that legislation in support of Falun Gong practitioners would move forward.
“We really hope the Falun Gong Act passes and gets some teeth to help support the Falun Gong movement here in the United States,” Armijo said.
First introduced to the public in China in 1992, Falun Gong quickly spread by word of mouth to reach an estimated 70 million to 100 million practitioners by 1999. The CCP, fearing that the practice’s popularity threatened its power, in July 1999 began a brutal campaign combining hate propaganda, financial pressure, arbitrary detention, forced labor, and torture to eradicate the practice. Since then, untold numbers of practitioners have been killed, including through forced organ harvesting.
Artist Peter Zukoski said he was impressed by the amount of dedication and skill documented by the film.
“It’s an excellent movie. Really impressed by the dedication and the artistry skill, and meeting some of the dancers was really delightful,” Zukoski said. He added that the creative fields take hard work, noting that his wife is an actress.
“Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun” is scheduled for a screening in the San Francisco Bay Area at the Milpitas Library main auditorium at 160 N. Main St. in Milpitas, California, on July 10, 2026, at 4 p.m. Seats can be reserved at EventBrite.
