Critics reviews

Both a mockery and a celebration of the artistic practice that has sustained his life, Merab’s performance is a testament to the things that queer dance and movement can do: a camp revision of national traditions, a defiance of authority, an exorcism of pain, and a leap into a future that is both uncertain and exhilarating.

The direction and cinematography focus more on showing than telling in this sumptuous, passionate, and joyful story of discovery and rebellion.

Its dramatic components, fraught as they are, are tepidly delivered. The movie catches fire only in its final scene, in which Merab expresses his rebellion in the language of dance, not words

Though Akin has stated that And Then We Danced was inspired by encounters with activists in Georgia, it’s hard to imagine the film existing without the idyllic influence of Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name. But Akin lacks the discipline and the creativity of Guadagnino’s direction—that combination of maximalist tendencies and rigorously self-imposed rules

This isn’t just cinema as good citizenship, it’s also gripping drama, and that’s what makes its politics so effective.

Self-destruction is within reach for these restless hearts, but the compassion of the story keeps spirits high and love alive. As hands clap, knees jerk and eyes meet, the softness of a first romance feels strong – at once through sharp bodies and honey-sweet desire.