Levan Akin's 'And Then We Danced' Explores Georgian Identity Through Dance

Swedish-Georgian director Levan Akin's film 'And Then We Danced' premiered at the 34th Festival Mix Milano di Cinema Gaylesbico e Queer Culture, after being screened at the Quinzaine des Réalisateurs of the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. The film follows Merab, a slender dancer in the Georgian National Ensemble, whose encounter with the rebellious Irakli sparks a forbidden romance. Set against the backdrop of Georgia's struggle to break free from Soviet mental legacies, the narrative contrasts traditional masculine dance roles with Merab's fluid movements. His father, a former dancer now working at a market, prefers his more virile brother, while his mother and grandmother support him. The film culminates in Merab's audition, where his delicate hand gestures anger an older master, symbolizing his refusal to conform. After Irakli leaves Tbilisi to marry a woman, Merab finds solace in his friend Mary, and his brother urges him to leave Georgia for a future where he can be himself. The film uses a three-minute sequence shot to capture Merab's despair after abandonment. Akin's work has been both celebrated by progressives and contested by conservatives in Georgia.