Hot Docs 2008

Eleven-year old Alla's one true desire in life is to be a ballerina. In this enchanting portrait, Polish director Rafal Skalski unfolds a charming tale of a young girl whose legs are 0.4 percent too short to be admitted into the prestigious Russian Waganowa Ballet Academy in Saint Petersburg. Fifty-two percent is the ideal proportion of leg length to height and one of the most important admission criteria set by the State Ballet Academy. Alla has two months to stretch her lovely little limbs to reach these absurd "ideal" proportions. 52 Percent provides the ultimate test for the old adage, "when there's a will there's a way."
-Sarah Whitehouse