How And Then We Danced enraged an entire nation | video essay

Georgia Pride // Russian propaganda // anti LGBTQ movement // Queer representation // Queer movie review // Homophobia in Russia

Information Sources mentioned in video:

#1 Mestvirishvili, Maia, Tinatin Zurabishvili, Tamar Iakobidze & Natia Mestvirishvili. 2017. “Exploring Homophobia in Tbilisi, Georgia.” Journal of Homosexuality 64 (9): 1253-1282.

#2 Korolczuk, Elżbieta. 2023. “Anti-gender Campaigns as a Threat to Liberal Democracy” in Elisa Orofino, and William Allchorn (eds.), Routledge Handbook of Non-Violent Extremism (pp. 347-359). London: Routledge.

#3 Schreiber, Daniel. 2021. "Allein." Berlin: Hanser Berlin.

#4 Khoshtaria, Tamar. 2018. “What are the values of young people and how are these different from the values of older generations in Georgia?” Journal of Beliefs & Values 39 (3): 279-297.

#5 World Values Survey (WVS). 2010-2014. World Values Survey Wave 6 Official Aggregate. v.20150418.

#6 Reynolds, Daniel. 2019. “And Then We Danced Incited Protests in Georgia

Further Readings about the movie:

Videos used:

Great Big Story: Georgian Dancers Push Their Physical Limits for Tradition

Vox: How did pink become a girly color?

Free Europe/Radio Liberty: First LGBT Pride March Held In Georgia Despite Security Concerns Radio

Al Jazeera English: Russian troops still advancing in Georgia - 14 Aug 2008

Arte TRACKS: Fake News: Die Waffen des Westens: LGBTQ & Reiche Eliten

Song used:
dné - Car

[FaliusAren]

The hybrid of Georgian dance and vogue at the end is INSANE. As someone who's done and seen countless styles of European folk dance, Georgian remains easily the most masculine and patriarchal in my opinion. To cross that over with an inherently feminine, queer, even specifically transgender style with such beautiful choreography made me cry harder than any other part of the film. It's profound

[gvn]

Thank you so much for this video! As a Georgian member of the LGBT community, I can confirm that you have mentioned and explained the problems we have here very well.The mentioning of Ru**ian influence was one of the most important parts. Keep it up, this video deserves more views.

[veryemerald]

Thank you so much for this video essay. I'm half Georgian half Belarussian and your throrough analysis of the ongoing situation of how Russia weaponises homophobia not only at its own place but in all of the countries around is amazing. I could only wish something changes for better just for a change, but unfourtunately there are no such signs.

[saidas]

This movie is gold. Especially the ending scene, so powerful

[verukamtl]

This was really fantastic and insightful! I'm not sure why YouTube recommended it to me but I'm glad it did. I hadn't known about the political and social ramifications for Russia but this makes so much sense. I hope that films like this (which I've watched and loved) will help people to see and understand that LGTBQ+ people are just the same as they are. Thank you so much for making this!

[lethalprophet]

I would like to congratulate you on putting together a very well-done piece of journalism. So many videos I see on YouTube are narrated by people speaking in robotic monotone with (proper, but unnatural) over-enunciated speech and nothing to lend credence to or confidence in the source of the facts being cited. Not to say these videos are any less legitimate than yours, but I found it extremely refreshing to see a video where 1) the narration was done in a natural speaking voice, and 2) your sources were well-documented, telling me that you had done your research and weren't just parroting things said in other videos or presenting your opinions as facts.
It is very rare for me to give a video a thumbs up, but you definitely deserve one for this. I haven't seen any of your other videos, yet. However, I'm looking forward to viewing more of your work, confident that they are as well done as this one. I hope you continue to put out quality content like this. In my opinion, this sets an admirable example of what this type of content should aspire to. If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to minimize cuts/edits, as (and this may be just me) I find it distracting when I'm watching someone speak, and their face suddenly 'glitches' into another position or location. Although I will say that the editing was done in such a manner that the narration did not suffer any because of those edits.

[HalaBasinah]

What a great and important video, thank you for making it! This movie is criminally underrated. I make people watch it at every opportunity.

One of the moments I found most important in this movie was a brief mention by the dance teacher that one of the men's traditional dances used to be more feminine but that they changed it 50 years ago. This is true. So much of what people consider "culture" and "tradition" is a recent invention, normally fluid and expressive practices compressed into static and restricted versions of themselves, all for the purpose of upholding existing power structures. Culture has always changed; the people who are actually "killing culture" are the ones who want to freeze it in place.

[FADY-MAALOUF]

Brilliant Analysis 💜 !wow, Horrific customs and traditions, may the new generation eradicate all of these repulsive false values.

[bachivalishvili]

Love this video ❤ thank you for doing such diligent work and providing so much context 🤟✨ we are fighting to break through now and we are almost at the finish line ✊

[tangytaste]

So refreshing, I genuinely love how you approached the topic! Your research and insight into the general context of the movie are incredible. I shall be on the lookout for more of your videos!

[sercemwksiazkach]

And Then We Danced is my favourite movie. I always try to get other people to watch it, for its gorgeous scenery and beautiful pirtrayal of a young gay man who's just trying to live his life to the fullest. I also adore dancing, and seeing one focused on Georgian traditional dancing? I got hooked. The themes of difficult familial relationships, fighting to get out of poverty, and tradition vs progression were all dealt with respectfully and beautifully. ATWD is a political movie, but done in a tasteful way that also cares about its artistry more than making a statement. It does both and I will always be amazed. And in this video essay you showed that perfectly. It's clear that you've done extensive research, and you explained the context logically and eloquently. It's an amazing video :)

[adao.]

To me it was also very much a representation of my country since Balkans have similar cultures and values. I hope one day we can show an openly queer movie at the theaters too.

[grawakendream]

i was going to get a bunch of friends together to go see a screening of this that was scheduled around here literally and then covid hit. and that social circle was gone and never really recovered. i'm more back on my own. but georgian art, the intensity of it and the vitality of the dancing drew me to it. it's also cool that it had a theme for marginalized lgbtq peoples also

[ilostmyutubeaccount]

Great job! You actually went really deep into the roots of the problem. Amazing video<3

[francescamancuso]

This video is great! Your storytelling was engaging and I really appreciated how you covered so many interesting topics in a such refreshing and not obvious way
The editing was also great
Keep up with your work!

[flfb]

this is such a touching video that really highlights to me - a trans person in a western country - how little i know about eastern european countries, but also how homophobia and transphobia are so ubiquitous that propaganda from both parties involve it.

on the other hand; i can't wait to watch this film (and thank you for letting me know about mubi omg)! it looks like something that will break my heart in so many ways.

i'm really excited to see what other video essays you make from here. the pacing, the editing, the music, the mise en scène, your soft voice; everything in this just gave a sense of calm to the experience even when you were talking about horrific events. it made me feel safe even though i was hearing about the danger i and my community are in. it's incredible; even though i haven't seen it yet, the clips i saw (that weren't spoilers) gave me the impression that your analysis has a similar tone to the film itself. you really hit it out of the park with this. you should be proud :3

[elizabethmalkova]

Thank you for such a deep essay and a thorough analysis of the topic with the factual info like article links.
This movie inspired me to start taking Georgian dance classes even though before watching it I had a superstition that this dance style is stiff and not prone to any type of freshness and change.
As a person who currently lives in Russia and sees all that biased anti-lgbt rhetorics it is a relief to hear the part about them choosing an lgbt community to be a scapegoat to distract the public eye from other types of atrocities they are doing. Such a relief that there are other people who see that manipulation.
Your video combined three of my favourite things - Georgian dance and culture, support of human rights and good journalism and got me smiling all 19 minutes 😁
Thank you!

[gordonbennett]

Watched the movie for the first time last night.Amazing in all respects but the dvd had no in depth 'extras' to enhance the real situation and struggles of LGBTQ in Georgia .Finding this concise well presented vjdeo essay enhanced the viewing experience, makes me want to revisit it and find out more .It should so much have been snapped up by the film company to add to the worldwide dvd release as a companion piece.Well done everyone involved and look forward to viewing further essays.After stepping away from Pride in Brighton UK this year as it has become no more than a jolly for many young gays who have little time and understanding of real persecution and the violent depths that homophobia can sink to and still exists .I'm all for a party but it is only possible when an individual can have belief and PRIDE in themself, STAND ALONE FROM THE CROWD have and give respect Religion and politics are only there to promote control and fear in the herd..To much said watch the film ...Beauty, Love Dance and have Belief

[RosaLindeMuziek]

Wow, thank you so much for this video essay. So well said; you are an intelligent and good person. So important this information is shared.

[Yatorine]

This is an amazing video. 1.66k subs is criminal