In Tbilisi, We Dance, We Love
Levan Akin helms first queer feature film out of Georgia
BY GARY M. KRAMER
Out gay writer/ director Levan Akin’s
tender romantic drama, “And Then
We Danced,” is the first queer feature
from the Eurasian nation of Georgia.
Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) is a closeted dancer
in the Georgian national dance company. When
Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) joins the troupe, Merab
is secretly attracted to him and the two soon
initiate a clandestine affair. However, the lovers
also become rivals for a position in the main
ensemble. How things play out, in both love and
dance, forms the emotional core of this compelling
film.
Akin, who lives in Sweden, but is of Georgian
heritage, knew his film was going to be
controversial, but he never imagined it to have
the impact it did. “And Then We Danced” generated
protests at the film’s premiere in Tbilisi
from right-wing and Orthodox religious groups
for its portrayal of homosexuality in such a traditional
context. That controversy gave the film
extra visibility in Georgia, the director recently
acknowledging via WhatsApp, “The premiere
was very intense.”
Akin added, “I hoped it would help people in
Georgia. I interviewed a lot of LGBT people. I
wanted to get the feel of their lives there, and
understand that it’s two parallel worlds living
in the same country — the young generation,
who grew up with the internet, and the older
generation, who don’t speak or read English
and are stuck in Soviet times.”
He continued, “There is a lot of propaganda
➤ ENRIQUE SALANIC, from p.22
Mayan culture in “José?”
SALANIC: We have to go a little
bit back in history first. In the Mesoamerican
lands, homosexuality
was okay because they could handle
the feminine/ masculine duality.
But there are other parts of
Mesoamerica where homosexuality
was not accepted at all, and you
were punished. There were cultures
that accepted it versus Europeans
who didn’t. There is the scene of
José and Luis in bed, looking at
each other, and they resemble Mayan
kings. This reference came
from Piedras Negras in Petén a
once-major urban center in Mayan
civilization, with a throne or stone
bench with two kings heads on its
back, which is now in the National
PHOTO MUSIC BOX FILMS
Bachi Valishvili and Levan Gelbakhiani in Levan Akin’s “And Then
We Danced,” which opens at the Quad Cinema on February 7.
from Russia against the West and they use
the LGBT issue to fear-monger. When this film
came out in Georgia, folks are homophobic by
default. They don’t know gay people and think
they are all perverts and pedophiles because
that is what they are told. But when they see
my film, some really old people in their 80s
loved it, and we’ve heard the film has changed
some people’s views on LGBT people and that
makes me very happy.”
Akin wanted to make a film that is hopeful
to inspire people in general and Georgia’s queer
community in particular. He claimed he could
have never made the film if he were living and
working in Georgia. As he shot “And Then We
Danced,” he thought about how his life might
Museum of Anthropology and History
in Guatemala City. This rock
could have many interpretations,
and one is that they are two Mayan
kings who just or are about to kiss
each other. I told Li about that, and
he put it in the scene.
KRAMER: In a follow-up chat.
What is your reaction to the US
Embassy’s toward you coming
here?
SALANIC:I am Guatemalan and
my papers are Guatemalan. But
they say there is no strong reason
— land or house — keeping me
here. I was in the US as a student
and I could have stayed in the US
then, even illegally. But if I stayed
and I got caught, it would stay on
my record and I would never be allowed
CINEMA
have been.
“It shows the difficulties in Georgia,” he explained.
“I wanted to be celebratory, and celebratory
to the Georgian culture; it’s a love letter
to my own heritage. I didn’t want to make a
film about an old, stiff, patriarchal society that
needs to be destroyed. I wanted to be inclusive.
I wanted to show that you yourself decide how
you interpret and celebrate the culture.”
The dancing sequences are fantastic, and
Gelbakhiani, who is a modern dancer, learned
how to perform the traditional routines for the
film. Akin shoots the actor intimately, tactilely,
to “feel” his emotions. Many of the dance sequences
are shot close, to capture Gelbakhiani’s
intensity. Th ere is also a fabulous scene
where Merab dances seductively for Irakli to
Robyn’s “Honey.”
While “And Then We Danced” shows intimacy
between the men, the film is more sensual than
explicit, a deliberate choice on Akin’s part. One
sex scene is shot without a cut to allow viewers
to be in the moment with the characters, but
far more erotic are scenes of Merab and Irakli
lying in bed together just staring at each other
or a scene in Irakli’s bedroom that percolates
with sexual tension.
“To me, the film is about Merab’s awakening,
and not the details of how they have sex,” Akin
said. “It is how that awakening makes Merab
accept himself and carve out a place in this conservative
society: ‘This is who I am, and what I
am, and how to interpret my traditions.’ In his
case, he is never worried, or angry, or hesitant
back to the US. I didn’t want
to get in trouble, and I felt I needed
to go back to Guatemala because
my roots are here. I grew up here,
and I feel a strong connection to
the land.
I was hoping to go to the US for
the premiere of “José,” and it was
never my intention to stay in the
US. It is disappointing because I
wanted to promote the movie and
create awareness of the situations
in the film. I’m happy with the
film’s success.
I do live with my parents, but
it is very common for people my
age to live with their parents and
families are important for Guatemalans.
In the US, you have to be
independent as soon as possible.
That is not common in Guatemala.
➤ WE DANCED, continued on p.24
Family is your primary support
here. They are there for you whenever
you have something great or
tragic happen.
I think in the end, I would be
happy to be anywhere as long as I
am happy, and I am happy in Guatemala.
I have friends and family
here, and I have projects going on.
It feels like there is a boom in the
cinematographic world here. “José”
is opening doors for me, with short
films and other projects. The US
has great opportunities, but my
heart belongs to Guatemala.
JOSÉ |Directed by Li Cheng | In
Spanish with English subtitles |
Outsider Pictures | Opens Jan. 31
| Quad Cinema, 34 W. 13th St.;
quadcinema.com
GayCityNews.com | January 30 - February 12, 2020 23
/quadcinema.com
/GayCityNews.com
