(spoiler free)
Levan Akin’s And Then We Danced is a Swedish-Georgian romance drama starring Levan Gelbakhiani and Bachi Valishvili in the central roles. The film follows Merab (Gelbakhiani) who is a dancer in the National Georgian Ensemble. However, his dancing career is disrupted with the arrival of Irakli (Valishvili) who makes an overwhelming impact on Merab in and outside the training room.
As we witness Merab and his fellow performers rehearse the film serves as a wonderful insight into the tradition of Georgian dance, exposing audiences to a culture they may not have experienced or have had any prior knowledge of. Dance runs through the very veins of this film, serving as the beating heart of the narrative: Merab’s affection for Irakli. Dance is often used to portray the feelings experienced by Merab or the mentality he has throughout the story. Moments of dedication and discipline are made clear through certain sequences with others conveying a freedom and joy it feels that Merab is experiencing for the first time. Dance is a constant throughout the film and Merab’s life, whilst other elements are not, however the most enthralling dance that director Akin portrays is the dance of desire between Merab and Irakli.
Gelbakhiani’s performance as Merab is astounding, he portrays his affection for Irakli in such a touching and relatable fashion. His performance captures the mixture of emotions that come with this new-found attraction so effortlessly, and in doing so gives reason to all of his actions in an unquestionable way. Valishvili’s performance as Irakli is far more understated than Gelbakhiani’s but this is done well. The distance that is kept between him and the audience makes Merab’s desire for him even stronger and helps viewers connect with him. Valishvili’s more restrained performance helps to create an overwhelming tension between the pair and he demonstrates powerful ability throughout his portrayal of the character. The supporting cast also do a tremendous job ensuring that the varying degrees of humour, drama and emotion present in this screenplay are as effective as intended.
For many viewers And Then We Danced will reach its swan-song too soon, but this is credit to Akin’s ability to craft a story and characters that are so easy to become attached to. In all honesty the film ends at the perfect moment, as frustrating as some might find this. Merab’s story is told with such care and attention to detail that it’s impossible not to relate to at least some aspect of it. Infused with the rich culture of Georgian dance this romantic drama puts a specific focus on the exact location of this story but never allows this to halt it in conveying the universal truths of love and affection, written beautifully and performed exquisitely.
Written by Hamish Calvert
★★★★
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