A female boxer faces challenges both in and outside the ring in the feature debut from Taiwanese director Lee Yi-shan. Anchored by a stand-out central performance from newcomer Lin Yi-ting, A Dance with Rainbows weaves deftly between sports drama and a heartfelt coming-of-age story.

The film debuted at the 2025 Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival in a slightly longer version, before playing at both the Hong Kong International Film Festival and the New York Asian Film Festival in its current, leaner form this year.

The film’s protagonist, Chen Chia-ling (Lin), or simply Ling, shares her name with the subject of Lee’s 2007 documentary short, Knockout. While that short followed a young athlete taking part in a world-class boxing competition, the narrative arc in Lee’s fictional feature is considerably more challenging than that of a conventional sporting tournament.

Read my full South China Morning Post review here