(Minghui.org) The Edison Filmhub cinema in Prague hosted the Czech premiere of the documentary film Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun on Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

The film is the first-ever documentary on the New York-based performing arts group and showcases the lives of performers as they tour and train. At the same time, it explores challenges that Shen Yun faces as a company targeted by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for presenting Chinese culture before communism.

Many of Prague’s artistic and cultural elite attended the premiere of the film and subsequent panel discussion including former Czech Minister of Culture Daniel Herman and Shen Yun principal dancer Piotr Huang, a key figure in the documentary. The film was met with prolonged applause at its conclusion, and many audience members said they were touched by the strength and commitment of Shen Yun performers to their artistic freedom in the face of totalitarian repression.

The Czech premiere of Unbroken: The Untold Story of Shen Yun was shown at the Edison Filmhub in Prague on June 16, 2026. (Minghui.org)

Czech Shen Yun Presenter: The Challenges Are Here in the Czech Republic, Too

During the panel discussion, Lukáš Kudláček, the spokesperson for Shen Yun’s local presenter in the Czech Republic, shared that the CCP’s efforts to target Shen Yun have also manifested within Czech borders.

He said performances in the Czech Republic this year received messages from CCP-linked senders that threaten bombings, mass shootings, and arson against Shen Yun’s hosting theaters. “I have been helping organize Shen Yun for nearly twenty years,” he said. “We take this very seriously. The threats are real, and we deal with them essentially every year.”

Although none of these threats ultimately ended up being realized, Kudláček still expressed his thanks for the excellent cooperation from Czech law enforcement and security forces to keep performers and audiences safe. He said that these underhanded tactics are part of the CCP’s broader transnational repression efforts to intimidate and silence dissidents overseas.

Former Czech Minister of Culture: Shen Yun’s Art Defies the CCP’s Control Over People

Former Minister of Culture Daniel Herman at the documentary screening in Prague. (Minghui.org)

Former Minister of Culture Daniel Herman praised the admirable strength of Shen Yun’s artists, who, despite immense adversity, stand firmly by their convictions and spread positive energy through their highly professional artistry.

He also offered a personal example of the CCP’s efforts to disrupt Shen Yun involving a friend of his who was contacted by the Chinese authorities because he chose to sponsor Shen Yun.

He said, “[My friend] told them at the time that, on the contrary, it was a very good thing that he intended to support [Shen Yun]. They responded by telling him that his business operations in China would be finished.”

The former minister was an early supporter of Shen Yun, and gave the performance a positive review while he served in his ministerial role in 2016. Through his multiple viewings, he said that he knows exactly why the CCP is so determined to interfere: Shen Yun’s emphasis on spirituality.

“Whether the spiritual vertical takes a Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, or any other form, it is always attacked by the communist regime in the same way. They simply seek to control the human soul. And Shen Yun strives to cultivate that soul. The kiss of art, which touches the sensitive human heart, is a danger to [the CCP],” he said.

Shen Yun Principal Dancer: Spirituality Is Core to Shen Yun

Piotr Huang, a principal dancer with Shen Yun, joined the panel discussion via teleconference. He introduced himself and shared with the audience his motivations for joining the company.

“Shen Yun represents China before communism, and the mission of the performance is to revive that traditional culture. I found that deeply meaningful,” he said. “Another aspect that drew me to Shen Yun was faith. Everyone practices Falun Dafa.”

Shen Yun was founded in 2006 by a group of artists who practice Falun Dafa. As Huang explained, many of them escaped China due to the CCP’s state-sanctioned persecution against their faith and sought a channel to raise awareness for their friends and family who still face grave human rights abuses in China.

They also wanted to restore China’s arts which was once filled with spiritual elements and meaning before the CCP’s controlled public discourse.

NGO Staff Member: Authoritarian Regimes Are Afraid of Art That Inspires

Judita Soukupová of the Václav Havel Foundation at the premiere screening of Unbroken. (Minghui.org)

Judita Soukupová works for the Václav Havel Foundation, a nongovernmental organization focused on social, cultural, and human rights causes. She said viewing the film helped her understand the situation and why the CCP invests so many resources into attacking a dance company. “Authoritarian regimes in general do not want happy people, and Shen Yun creates happy and intelligent people,” she said.

As a human rights advocate, Soukupová noted that the CCP’s distaste for artistic freedom matches a pattern she’s seen in other totalitarian regimes.

“[These regimes] are well aware of what music can do to people. How it can move them to tears, but on the other hand, also rouse them, giving them strength and courage. Whether it is music or dance, it is always about emotion, courage, and human connection,” she said.

Through the Darkness, Shen Yun Performers “Radiate Light”

Actor Pavel Bezděk at the premiere screening of the documentary film Unbroken. (Minghui.org)

Stuntman and actor Pavel Bezděk, another audience member said that the film left him deeply shocked.

“These are not the kind of films you say you like,” he said. “It is obvious that conditions are harsh and brutal inside China, but I had no idea they could interfere to this extent within Western democracies like America, and influence newspapers like The New York Times.”

He urged the audience to be aware of the information they take in, “Keep your eyes and ears open.”

Actor David Steigerwald at the premiere screening of the documentary film Unbroken. (Minghui.org)

Actor David Steigerwald, who also attended the premiere, was profoundly moved by the personal accounts of the artists and said, “I am deeply moved by the stories of people who are so incredibly resilient that, despite all the pain and the loss of their loved ones, they continue to dance, deliver electrifying performances, and refine their spirit to such a degree that they become beacons radiating light.”

He feels that the CCP’s attempted repression of these artists is unacceptable, he also believes that through these challenges, “Incredible heroes could rise” like the young artists depicted in the film.