And Then We Danced (2019) dir. Levan Akin

Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) is a young Georgian dancer who yearns for the ultimate honor, a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble. He practices relentlessly: during class with his sort-of girlfriend Mary, at home in front of his bedroom mirror, dancing down the street. Every step he takes is rhythmic, but his instructor Aleko (Kakha Gogidze) constantly reprimands him for being too soft, a criticism that follows Merab in all aspects of his life.

Merab’s homelife is bleak. His parents divorced after their dreams of dancing on stage were short-lived, and his mother barely makes it out of bed. David (Giorgi Tsereteli), Merab’s older brother, is a troublemaker who screws up every chance he’s given. The weight of keeping his dysfunctional family together falls on Merab’s shoulders, and he feels himself crumbling under the pressure. 

Photo courtesy of the Sundance Institute

One day, Aleko announces that there will be auditions for a coveted open position on the National Georgian Ensemble team. Merab is elated at the opportunity, until Irakli (Bachi Valishvili), a bad boy with an innate talent for dance, enters the scene and upstages him. 

Photo courtesy of the Sundance Institute

Where Merab is anxious and insecure, Irakli is composed and confident. Irakli becomes Merab’s rival, but also the object of his hidden affection — affection that is returned in the secret of the woods in the late hours following a party. The pair become clandestine lovers, putting their lives at risk. 

The danger that Merab and Irakli face is very real in modern-day Georgia. The three sold-out Georgian screenings were met with hordes of angry protesters, and the film was renounced by the Georgian Orthodox Church. Creating this film in Georgia was an act of defiance, but it was also a love letter to the country and its cultural traditions that are so deeply steeped in the characters’ everyday lives. 

ABBA and Robyn both make very welcome appearances in the soundtrack, and the scenes associated with the songs are two of the most striking in the film. The beautiful golds, reds, and blues that imbued each scene were enough to transport me out of the strange timeline we’re currently in.

There are parallels to Call Me By Your Name, but And Then We Danced is a masterpiece in its own right.

Don’t miss the opportunity to stream this movie for free on Amazon Prime.