And then we danced 2019 Levan akin
.jpg)
Levan Akin is one of Georgia's most exciting film talents. His films explore complex themes of identity, sexuality, and belonging within unique cultural contexts against a background of Georgian values and prejudices. This year we are screening both And Then We Danced 2019 and Crossing 2024. We are delighted to welcome Levan Akin in London to present them.
And Then We Danced at Ciné Lumière Intro by Levan Akin
And Then We Danced Da chven vitsek've | 105mins | GEO/SWE/FRA | Georgian with EN subs
4 October
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.
Merab (played by actor and dancer Levan Gelbakhiani) is a talented young dancer whose improvisatory sensual and playful touches are considered 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. 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 just as poignant today as it was at the time of its release.
