Join a live Q&A with Georgian filmmaker Levan Akin on 2 April

Director of acclaimed Georgian film And Then We Danced is holding a livestream Q&A to celebrate the online release of the landmark LGBTQ drama.

Levan Akin will be hosting the event on the Instagram account of the US-based distributor Movie Box Films (@musicboxfilms) on Thursday 2 April at 6pm GMT.

Earlier this month, And Then We Danced saw its general release interrupted by cinemas across the globe closing their doors amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, distributors are turning to virtual platforms to give the film the widespread release. The film is currently available to watch online on Vimeo, Curzon Home Cinema, BFI Player, and StreamLocal.

Hailed as the Georgian version of Call Me by Your Name, And Then We Danced is a passionately gripping coming-of-age story set within the high-pressure world of Georgia’s national dance troupe. The film follows Merab, a competitive dancer, and Irakli, a disruptive new arrival to the ensemble, as they navigate a clandestine romance and battle with questions of sexuality, masculinity, and social identity against the backdrop of Georgian society’s conservative values.

Shortly after its premiere in Cannes in 2019, The Calvert Journal spoke with director Levan Akin about the obstacles of making this film in Georgia. Since then, the film’s LGBTQ storyline has sparked backlash from both the country’s Orthodox church and ultra-nationalist forces.

You can submit questions to Levan Akin ahead of the Q&A here.