everything you have heard about this movie is true.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Blistering performances.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

Very very very impressive. I actually started to watch the film not from the beginning. While i was stressed by the amount of work, training, training, hard staff, hard conditions, and bright little girls, but then i've seen Shao Lin on their jackets. Everething became so clear.You have not even a slice of idea how much hard work and how many training, how many overcoming and yet clear minds is there. Looking at 26 000 motivated all-day-training children to become best fighters in the world European and American mind would definitely obtain the new perspective on what hard work and true competition is. Recommend to watch - if you don't like it - just turn it off in 30 minutes.

Being a martial artist (Kung Fu) myself I was very excited to watch this documentary. Although my expectations were high "Drachenmädchen" still managed to exceed them.I've seen many documentaries about Kung Fu but this one was very unique as it does not just exhibit some monks during their training but shows what happens when you start to "manufacture" martial artists. "Drachenmädchen" was very well researched. The filmmakers really understood the problem and knew how to present it in a non-cheesy manner. The cinematography was amazing. There were lots of great shots and images I will never forget.Basically there were two very different settings covered here. Most of the time we see the Shaolin Tagou Kung Fu School where you see interview with students, trainers and also the headmaster. The headmaster proudly presents us the school's principles. He explains that they are forming a harmonic society by educating their students physically, mentally and culturally.....with all means necessary. The second setting is the nearby Shaolin temple. There we see an interview with the monastery's abbot where he talks about his (the traditional) way of teaching Kung Fu.It is shocking to see how far the Shaolin Tagou Kung Fu School's teaching methods and morals differ from the traditional ones from Shaolin Temple. Often times we see the school's headmaster explaining something and right after the end of his statement there is a cut to the Abbot saying the complete opposite. This harsh contrast is also illustrated by the areal shots. The vast and empty training grounds of the Shaolin Tagou Kung Fu School are visually compared to the temple's richly decorated pagoda. Another contrast we see in this documentary is the one between the militaryesque drill from the outside and the girl's still emotional inside. We also see that in some cases it is just the parents abandoning their children. What is also a big problem but not the focus of this film.In conclusion "Drachenmädchen" is a brilliant, well made and very focused documentary you shouldn't miss; especially if you are a martial artist yourself. It offers a unique look on a problem that isn't often addressed. +++Please excuse grammatical errors. I am not a native speaker, but due to IMDb's regulations reviews have to be written in English+++