Merab, a student at Georgia’s national ballet academy in Tiflis, dreams of becoming a professional dancer. When Irakli joins his class, Merab first sees him as a potential rival who could steal a coveted spot in the regular ensemble Merab is hoping to fill. Alas, this competitive urge is soon overshadowed by a growing desire for the new dancer. However, in the homophobic environment of the school, with its promotion of conservative notions of masculinity, the two dancers are expected to keep their budding love a secret.

This compelling romantic dance drama from Swedish director Levan Akin was celebrated as a great discovery in Cannes and is Sweden’s official submission to the 2020 Academy Awards.

Born in 1979 with Georgian roots, Levan Akin hails from the southern Swedish city of Tumba. He initially worked as an assistant for film productions, including for Swedish television. His first award-winning short film DE SISTA SAKERNA (2008) was followed by his feature debut KATINKAS KALAS (2011), which was screened at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival. ZIRKEL (2015) was shown in the Generation section of the Berlinale. AND THEN WE DANCED is Akin’s first film in Georgian.

Awards (selection): Award for Best Film in the International Competition, Grand Jury Prize and Award for Best Actor to Levan Gelbakhiani (Odessa International Film Festival, Russia 2019), Award for Best Actor to Levan Gelbakhiani (Sarajevo Film Festival, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2019).