When we danced

Movie
German title	When we danced
Original title	And then we danced
Country of production	Sweden , Georgia
original language	Georgian
Publishing year	2019
length	113 minutes
Age rating	FSK 12
Rod
Director	Levan Akin
script	Levan Akin
production	Ketie Danelia , Mathilde Dedye
camera	Lisabi Fridell
cut	Levan Akin, Simon Carlgren
occupation
	Levan Gelbakhiani : Merab; Bachi Valishvili : Irakli; Ana Javakishvili : Mary;

When we danced (Original title: And Then We Danced ) is a film drama by Levan Akin , which premiered on May 16, 2019 at the Cannes International Film Festival and was released in Swedish cinemas on September 13, 2019.

action

Merab has been training with his dance partner Mary in the Georgian National Ensemble since he was a child. His world is turned upside down when one day the charismatic and carefree Irakli joins the ensemble. This not only becomes his greatest rival, but also arouses a sexual desire in him.

production

Directed by Levan Akin , who also wrote the script. After Zirkel (original title Cirkeln ) from 2015, it is his second film that he directed and the first feature film in Georgian by the Swedish director of Georgian origin. For Akin, the film is a love letter to the culture and tradition of Georgia: “I wanted to show that there is no contradiction in loving your heritage, being part of this culture and yet not conforming to the norm. That was the overriding theme for me. ”Since there are still homophobic attitudes in Georgia , the director gave a different story before filming, which the film tells so as not to be driven out of the different locations. The name of the Georgian dance choreographer is not mentioned in the credits, but is listed as "anonymous" because Akin feared that he could lose his job.

He cast the main role of Merab with the dancer Levan Gelbakhiani . His dance partner Mary is played by Ana Javakishvili , Irakli by Bachi Valishvili .

The German synchronization was created from the dialogue director of Marc Boettcher commissioned by the Berliner Synchron GmbH Wenzel Lüdecke.

The shooting took place in Tbilisi , Georgia . Lisabi Fridell acted as camerawoman .

A first trailer was presented in early May 2019. On May 16, 2019, the film celebrated its world premiere at the Cannes International Film Festival in the Quinzaine des réalisateurs, the Directors' Fortnight. In late July and early August 2019 it was shown at the Jerusalem Film Festival . The German premiere of the film took place on August 28, 2019 as part of the queer film festival in Berlin, Munich and Stuttgart. In early October 2019 it was presented at the London Film Festival and then at the Warsaw International Film Festival . It was released in Swedish cinemas on September 13, 2019. At the beginning of November 2019 it was shown in the official main competition at the Minsk International Film Festival “Listapad”. In November 2019 it was also presented at the AFI Film Festival in the World Cinema Section. On the second weekend in November 2019, the film was shown in five Georgian cinemas under police protection in Batumi and Tbilisi, causing massive riots and arresting 27 people. Music Box Films holds the distribution rights for the film in North America. In January 2020, the film was shown at the Palm Springs International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival in the Spotlight section before it was released in selected US cinemas on February 7, 2020. A theatrical release in Germany was planned on April 9, 2020, but this was postponed to July 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic. The film has been running in German-speaking Switzerland since June 25, 2020.

reception

Reviews

So far, the film has won over 93 percent of all Rotten Tomatoes critics and received an average rating of 7.8 out of a possible 10 points. Indie Wire Counted As We Danced To Make One Of The Best LGBT Q Movies Of 2019.

In his review, Nathanael Brohammer from the Gilde deutscher Filmkunsttheater particularly emphasizes the lead actor Levan Gelbakhiani , who is simply adorable in the dance performances and also excites with nuanced, unobtrusive, authentic play like Timothée Chalamet once did in Call Me by Your Name . At the same time, the film is also the depressing portrait of a cultural zone that has been left behind by globalization and, in particular, of a youth who wants to leave, with Tbilisi casually shown in its less flattering facets and ramshackle infrastructures, Brohammer continues: “The young people in the ensemble also lose small hopes and damaging longings with itself. "

Gross profit

The film grossed around $ 200,000 in total in the Netherlands, Lithuania and Turkey.

Awards

When we danced it was submitted by Sweden as an entry for the Academy Awards 2020 in the category Best International Film , but it was not shortlisted. Further awards and nominations follow.

Chicago International Film Festival 2019