One review on 04 Jul 2022

Georgia 2019

Running time: 113 mins

And Then We Danced

Director : Levan Akin 

Setting: Tbliski, Georgia
Original language: Georgian
Summary: Trainee dancer gets big-time chance and blows it


Aspect Ratio: 1.78 Widescreen

Colour: Colour

Sound: Mono

Tech Notes: Mono



First Seen: Mon 4th Jul 2022
Catalogued: 7th Jul 2022

Synopsis

Merab has been training for years for a place in the Georgian National Dance Ensemble (and opportunity to travel worldwide). His brother  is also training but dropping out. He lives with brother mother and grandmother in small appartment struggling for money to live and works nights waiting in a restaurant. A new dancer joins the trainee ensemble just as a vacancy is announced in the main ensemble and 5 will be selected to audition. The vacancy is due to a senior dancer male being caught having sex with another man - totally unacceptable in the homophobic culture of Georgia.

Merab and the new guy are both selected for audition and their rivalry soon turns to (forbidden) love. Mareb sprains an ankle just before the auditions and the new guy disappears, reappearing apologetic and announcing he has to return to his family and will not be auditioning.

Mareb auditions with his sprained ankle and causes outrage by dancing not in the approved style, (slightly camp routine) and looses his chance.

Reviews

by rogerco on Mon 4th Jul 2022 DVD proj @ home (Subtitled)

And Then We Danced - incomprehensibly

Full review

It was ok but not knowing the homophobic background in Georgia or really appreciating the formal nature of Georgian dance as an expression of a particular cultural background it didn't really resonate.

Several quite nice scenes - the tour of the underground Tibliski nightlife, the wedding party, using quite fluid camerawork and ensemble acting.

The stuff in the dance studio by contrast didn't work for me.