And Then We Danced

And Then We Danced

Director: Levan Akin. Cast: Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili, Ana Javakishvili 

I feel like I’ve seen these sort of film before, last but not least Luca Guadagnino’s “Call me By Your Name” (to me one of the best films of the last decade): the story of repressed love (whether gay or straight), sexual awakening, fear of coming out, but also the misery given by poverty, having to work to support your family while at the same time trying to balance all the rest, including following your dreams. However what is new here is Georgian setting: that alone gives the film an interesting new edge (Giorgia’s strong homophobic mentality sadly is well documented, as well as its general state of poverty and degradation). Unfortunately the film takes a lot of that for granted and doesn’t give us much more than just bold strokes when it comes to a deeper understanding of the historical context. So what could have been the most original part of the film remains rather superficial and in the end feels a bit like a missed opportunity. However what lacks in social background is completely balanced the emotional half that the film brings with it. “And then We Danced” sits on a captivating and mesmerizing performance (both as an actor and as an incredibly electrifying dancer) by newcomer Levan Gelbakhiani: his boyish look, so vulnerable, full of fears and uncertainties and yet determined in his dreams, tells so much more than 100 pages of dialogue. So while the story might be quite familiar, his presence, his quiet looks full of repressed lust and anger and his incredible energetic dancing (in which it feels like he really wants to break from his chains) make the journey worthwhile.

The film is still available on Streaming (On the Curzon website in the UK for example)

Website:https://www.peccapics.com/product/andthenwedanced/