Merab has been training from a young age at the National Georgian Ensemble. His world turns upside down when the carefree Irakli arrives and becomes both his strongest rival and desire.
A passionate tale of love and liberation set amidst the ultraconservative confines of modern Georgian society. The film follows Merab, a devoted dancer who has been training for years with his partner Mary for a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble. The arrival of another male dancer, Irakli - gifted with perfect form and equipped with a rebellious streak - throws Merab off balance, sparking both an intense rivalry and romantic desire that may cause him to risk his future in dance as well as his relationships with Mary and his family.
Drama, Romance
Language: Georgian, English subtitles
Levan Akin, Georgia 2019
Levan Akin is a Swedish born filmmaker, of Georgian descent, and his work often plays on class and gender:
“In Georgia there are three things that are upheld as the paragon of Georgian Tradition and National Identity: the Church, the traditional polyphonic singing and the traditional national dance. I interviewed a lot of dancers and they all told me stories of how gender conservative and strict the Georgian Dance scene was. So I decided to set the story in this setting. The Georgian Dance would represent the ‘old’ and the budding love between two of the dancers would represent the new.”
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