With the vigor of Georgian dance and the charisma of young dancers, it's worth streaming at The Gateway Film Center.
And Then We Danced
Grade: B
Director: Levan Akin (The Circle)
Screenplay: Akin
Cast: Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili
Rating: NR
Runtime: 1h 53m
By: John DeSando
A story oft told of coming out, it has the vigor of Georgian dance and unusually attractive actors. Stream it at The Gateway Film Center.
And Then We Danced is filled with the vigor of the former soviet State of Georgia as it depicts a young dancer, Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), fighting for a place in the Georgian National Ensemble. Besides the engaging actors and sweet, troubled story, this film was nominated for the Queer Palm at 2019 Cannes.
Although Georgian dancing in the last 50 years has moved to the masculine, this story is about the coming out of Mareb for his co-dancer Irakli (Bachi Valishvili). That un-masculine vibe permeates this formulaic romance as Mareb slowly moves from his relationship with his dancing partner, Mary (Ana Javakishvili). Although the professional folk dancing of the film provides lyrical heft, And Then is still more about a forbidden romance than it is about who will win coveted spots in the troupe.
This beautifully photographed drama, characterized by extensive closeups that only young dancers could love seeing of themselves, does not give extensive dance scenes that would lend a figurative depth to otherwise superficial dialogue. It has too many lingering shots, mostly closeup, that are no more expressive than longing looks between the male protagonists.
The locale is exotic, mainly set in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi, but the story has been told too many times: Nothing new here could make you long for the excitement of Georgia vs. Russia. What stunning dancing there is, what attractive stars there are make this artsy entertainment worth seeing through streaming at The Gateway Film Center. The virus dictates it!
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and co-hosts Cinema Classics. Contact him at JohnDeSando62@gmail.com.
