And Then We Danced

Accompanied by a mesmerizing soundtrack and filmed with great attention to lighting, Georgian and Swedish director Levan Akin’s AND THEN WE DANCED is a masterpiece of queer and foreign cinema. Collecting several awards and racking up numerous nominations from festivals such as the Odessa International Film Festival, this is one feature that you do not want to miss.

Merab is a young dancer with the Georgian National Ensemble, a prestigious and highly competitive troupe of traditional dancers. After years of choreographic formation with his dance partner Mary, Merab is thrown-off, in more ways than one, by a newcomer to the company, Irakli. In this highly disciplined environment, Irakli becomes both Merab’s fiercest competition and the object of his most ardent desires. Furtive glances exchanged between dizzying spins and powerful leaps expose the pair’s attraction.

Erotic, culturally complex, and with an energy that makes it hard to stay in your seat, Levan delivers an important filmic challenge to conservative and homophobic cultural barriers while spotlighting traditional Georgian cultural practices. Aligning with vocal, progressive, and young queer groups in Georgia, AND THEN WE DANCED moves the dial forward on queer storytelling in a country where out queer identity often still poses significant risks.