And Then We Danced

Levan Akin was born in Sweden to Georgian parents. It was in 2013, that Akin saw reports about the Tbilisi Pride Parade being under attack and travelled to Georgia to do some research. It resulted in the creative spark that became And Then We Danced. The film was given a 15-minute standing ovation at its premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section in the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, but caused great controversy in Georgia, both in its making and release.

Georgia is becoming increasingly homophobic and intolerant and Akin’s electrifying 2019 film about the secret love of two male dancers in the macho conservative world of Tbilisi’s National Georgian Ensemble, is even more poignant today then at the time of its release.

Merab (played by actor and dancer Levan Gelbakhiani) is a talented young dancer whose improvisatory sensual and playful touches are concsidered inappropriate for traditional national dance. Caught up in this world, where it is vital to conform, Merab’s story unfolds in this masterful film of both intimate storytelling and visual expansiveness and fluency, beautifully expressed in the fabulous and uplifting dance scenes.