The movie White Nights, released in 1985, stars Mikhail Baryshnikov as Nikolai Rodchenko, a famous ballet dancer who defected from the Soviet Union 8 years ago. On a flight to Tokyo, the plane is forced to make an emergency landing in Soviet territory, and Nikolai is taken into custody by the KGB.
He is brought to an apartment in Leningrad, where he meets Raymond Greenwood, played by Gregory Hines, an African-American expatriate who has married a Russian woman, Darya, played by Isabella Rossellini. Raymond is initially wary of Nikolai, but they eventually bond over their shared love of dance and their desire to escape the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, Nikolai's former lover, Galina Ivanova, played by Helen Mirren, who is now a prima ballerina at the Bolshoi Theatre, is ordered to dance with him in a performance. Galina is torn between her loyalty to the Soviet Union and her feelings for Nikolai, leading to a tense relationship between the two.
As Nikolai and Raymond plan their escape, they face obstacles from the KGB and the strict Soviet regime. The film features several dance sequences, including a memorable duet between Baryshnikov and Hines.
The movie was directed by Taylor Hackford and won the Academy Award for Best Original Song for "Say You, Say Me" by Lionel Richie. White Nights explores themes of loyalty, freedom, and the power of art to transcend political boundaries.
