This film premiered at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival in 2019, which is over a year ago now. It was nominated for the Queer Palm, which is the award that recognizes international films tackling LGBTQ characters or issues. It was the Swedish submission for Best International Feature at the 92nd Academy Awards. It didn't get nominated, but the film is about a gay dancer living in the country of Georgia. Given that the film is about Georgia and done in that country's native language, one question is why Sweden is the country that submitted it to the Oscars. It's a film about Georgia, so why is Sweden the one backing it? The reason is because the film does indeed center on LGBTQ characters and LGBTQ issues. Unfortunately, Georgia, along with most of the Eastern European countries that border Russia, is a very homophobic country. It's not as bad for LGBTQ people as it is in Russia, which is one of the worst places, but, as of 2018, the Constitution of Georgia banned same-sex marriage and all recognition of same-sex couples.
Ultra-conservative and pro-Russian groups threatened to protest, possibly violently, against the screening of this film in the two, largest cities in Georgia, that of Tbilisi and Batumi. One of those groups is the Georgian March, which is a far-right political organization that holds highly homophobic and xenophobic views. Police were dispatched to protect Amirani Cinema where the film was screened in Georgia and some incidents did occur when the film played there last year. This film explores what two young men realizing their same-sex attraction and existing in that kind of atmosphere would experience.
Levan Gelbakhiani stars as Merab Lominadze, a dancer with the Georgian National Ensemble. In the country of Georgia, Georgian dance is a very important and highly-revered thing. It's more apart of the country's culture and heritage than anything. It's not clear that Merab is an official member. He along with a group of young dancers appear to be in training. Either way, Merab is aware that there are auditions in order to be in a better position in the company. Merab wants to try for those auditions and advance his dancing career. It's clear that dancing is the thing for which he's the most passionate. He thinks about it every day. He lives and breathes it.
However, he's living a very impoverished life. He lives with his single mother, brother and grandmother in a very tiny apartment where he doesn't have his own bedroom. He doesn't even have his own bed. He sleeps on what looks like a couch in a room where his brother also sleeps. His brother doesn't really have a bed either. His brother instead crashes on what looks like a cot right across from Merab. His mother works as a cleaning lady, but she barely makes enough to pay the bills, including food and electricity. Merab pitches in by working as a waiter at a restaurant.
Bachi Valishvili co-stars as Irakli, another dancer with the Georgian National Ensemble. He's just as dedicated a dancer as Merab. He's also just as competitive and wants to go to the auditions too. He lives with his grandmother, which is here in Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, but he's from Batumi, which is the second largest city in Georgia. Most of his family seems to be in Batumi. He says that he also has a girlfriend there. It's not clear though if he's trying to make a life for himself in Tbilisi. He befriends Merab's brother, as they spend nights out together, usually drinking, but they might also be doing some extra work to make ends meet. Sometimes, it results in Irakli coming home with Merab's brother and crashing in the same room as Merab.
For some, this film might be the Georgian version of Call Me By Your Name (2017). That Oscar-winning film was about two, closeted, gay men and their secret romance, one being a teenager, played by Oscar-nominee Timothée Chalamet. Firstly, Gelbakhiani looks like Chalamet in his facial features and in his body type. Secondly, there are things that Gelbakhiani's character, Merab, does that Chalamet's character did in Call Me By Your Name. For example, Merab smells the clothing that Irakli wears. Finally, the ending to the romance is similar for Merab as it is for Chalamet's character. Yet, Merab gets a coda that is more hopeful and optimistic than Chalamet's character.
The ending though is similar to other gay films from non-American countries. If you've seen films like
Free Fall (2014) or
The Blonde One (2019), then how things play out won't be a surprise. Both those aforementioned films occur in more liberal countries, but, not all that more liberal or accepting of LGBTQ people. However, the coda for Merab has to do with Georgian dance. As the film goes along, we see moments where Merab shows off his great dance skills. It all comes to a climax when he performs at his audition. It's not that far flung from other independent films with gay dancers as the protagonist like
Test (2014) and
Five Dances (2014), but this film doesn't have as many dance sequences. Yet, it still balances the dancer's life and relationship, as well as the homophobia he faces.
Strangely, the best moment of the film is a scene that Merab has with his brother, David, played by Giorgi Tsereteli. It's toward the end and it's a very touching and sweet moment. Even though David is barely featured in the film, that brotherly bond was more felt than any romantic attraction that Merab felt for Irakli. Other than the final dance sequence, it's that scene between the two brothers that made my heart swell the most.
Not Rated but contains language and sexual situations.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 53 mins.
Available on VOD and DVD.
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