And Then We Danced

This was a look into a society that few people know much about in Western Europe. Georgia, despite being in Europe seems so far away and it is, in both geographical distance and attitudes.

Not only homophobia was on display here. I wasn't aware of the level of hatred and discrimination against Armenians there. The disgraced dancer Zaza's transgressions were made worse by their having been committed with an Armenian in Yerevan. When Merab's brother was forced to marry, disparaging rumours and gossip were spread about his wife's family possibly being of Armenian origin.

Then the homophobia. It seemed ingrained in Georgian society. Unfortunately the film didn't help in one respect. Apart from Merab and Irakli, the only other gay people portrayed were shrieking drag queens and stereotypical and dissolute gays and lesbians in seedy clubs. Many of the gay minor characters were portrayed as prostitutes. I admire the bravery of the film, but I think that this was a mistake

The dance itself encouraged masculine, hettie stereotypes too. At one time, Aleko tells Merab that there is no place for weakness or effeminism in Georgian dance, that all that was done away with fifty years previously. Nonetheless, the art form has engendered an interest in me and I'll be looking up some performances to watch online.

Merab's dance in the closing scenes was a tour de force, rejecting the imposed, ossified and constricting confines of traditional dance. It so scandalised the auditioner from the national dance group that he walked out, but the musicians and Aleko, as well as Mary, looked on fascinated.

I'd had this film for ages. I don't know why I hadn't watched it before. I think I'd been put off by the length, which was an hour and fifty three minutes. I needn't have been. I wasn't bored for a single second.

There is no sexuality in Georgian dance. There is also no place for individuality, nor for weakness. There is tradition, there is pride for the country. And nothing more. Using the beautiful traditional male Georgian dance as a metaphor, Levan Akin's 'And then We Danced' explores themes of fragile masculinity and sexuality in a way that is refreshing, organic, and powerful. This gorgeously lensed film also offers tender and warm story about identity, self-discovery, first love and sexual awakening, led by an outstanding performance from Levan Gelbakhiani.

For director the one challenge is to shoot a film about LGBTQ issue and not to dramatize script, another is to take Georgian film about the same issue and do not express a enormous wave of aggression to homophobia and to catch the balance. If you ask me why I will answer: In Georgia plenty people are on the side of homophobia. From my point of view the main problem is that they think LGBTQ people are strangers, they live somewhere not near them, not in their families, not in their neighborhood or in the circles of friends. They think gays are some savage, immoral people without families or normal lives.

And then there is the movie AND THEN WE DANCED. Director is catching the balance, it doesn't show any aggression, it only tells that gay people are between us, as normal as anyone and we only need to face that and to be humane.

The film is kind and emotional. RECOMMEND! Maybe after watching this film people haunted by homophobia will rethink the issue.

The direction and the screenplay is very organic in the way you don't notice how slowly the characters transition and do what you expect them to do. Both the guys are really beautiful at acting out their roles and I loved how in every setting the background noise was prominent which made it more real? I liked it.

If you want a different, warm, gripping and engaging drama - this is the movie! This heartwarming story from Georgia is a charmbomb. Incredibly well filmed with the storytelling taking place in Tiblisi. We follow a young man's encounter with his first love, in unfamiliar surroundings (at least for me). Great performances by these young actors make it both poignant and believable. I think the protagonist of the film clearly manages to show the challenges of being gay, in an environment that is clearly not ready for it. The film's message of what love and sorrow does to us is universal, but the place and surroundings this takes place in this film, lift it up and make it a special and touching experience in the cinema. Thanks to the Oslo Fusion Film Festival setting up this one, I hope it gets wide release worldwide. A warm recommendation from me.