A passionate tale of love and liberation set in modern-day Georgia, writer-director Levan Akin’s beloved coming-of-age drama And Then We Danced follows Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), an ambitious young dancer who has been training from an early age to earn a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble with his partner, Mary (Ana Javakishvili).
His world is suddenly turned upside down with the arrival of Irlaki (Bachi Valishvili), a charismatic, naturally gifted newcomer who becomes both his strongest rival and the object of his secret desires.
Within the highly gender-conservative, traditional world of Georgian dance, Merab must navigate his newfound feelings of attraction while competing for his lifelong goal. But as the two young men grow closer together and their mutual longing comes to the surface, they may unleash a floodgate that will pit them against the country’s outdated culture.
Initially screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival, And Then We Danced offers a riveting and visceral examination of dance, identity, gay longing and everything in between.
The film earned massive critical acclaim when it was first released in 2019 and was even chosen as the Sweden’s entry for the Best International Film at the 92nd Academy Awards.
Watch the trailer for And Then We Danced below. The film is now streaming on Dekkoo.
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