And Then We Danced

Merab, a Georgian youth descending from a line of dancers, has trained his entire life toward one goal: to dance in the Georgian National Ballet. In the meantime, he is a National Ensemble dancer, challenged by a demanding teacher and rigorous rehearsals. However, the most significant obstacle he faces are the feelings he develops for Irakli, a new dancer who becomes Merab’s rival and threatens to overshadow him. Levan Akin’s third film is an elegant and heartfelt work featuring impressive performances by two actors-dancers and a host of beautiful Georgian dance. But this is also a very bold work, which seeks to touch upon a raw nerve in conservative Georgian society. The film screened at the Cannes Directors Fortnight and became one of the Festival’s most talked-about films.