‘And Then We Danced’ Film Showcases in Cannes

And Then We Danced, a film by director Levan Akin has showcased at Cannes Film Festival in France in the Directors’ Fortnight.

The film, set in Georgia, tells the story of a young male dancer in Tbilisi who is training to join the National Georgian Ballet. He develops feelings for his fellow male dancer, who is his rival for a spot in the ballet.

Mixing a backdrop of traditional Georgian dancing with an LGBT theme is especially relevant in Georgia. The film touches upon sexuality, freedom of expression and masculinity in Georgia. “There is no sexuality in Georgian dance,” says in the dance teacher in the film, yet the film convincingly questions this notion.

Levan Akin was born in Sweden with Georgian heritage. He regularly visited Tbilisi as he was growing up. The film was shot in Georgia and Sweden, and the majority of the cast is Georgian.

By Amy Jones

Photo source - Directors’ Fortnight