In Georgia, 27 people were arrested during protests against a film about the love of two gay dancers. Two police officers were injured while protecting the premiere of the drama "And then we danced," the Ministry of Interior in the capital Tbilisi said on Saturday night. Opponents of the film shouted "shame" to cinemas and used fireworks according to reports by Georgian media. Other performances at the weekend ran despite protests initially without major incidents.
The film by Swedish director Levan Akin was shown in five police-protected cinemas in Georgia. According to the organizers, all tickets were sold out in advance. The drama that takes place in Georgia tells how a prospective dancer of the Georgian National Ballet in Tiflis falls in love with another student.
Lisabi Fridell Cor / Capital Pictures
Film scene from "And the we danced" with Levan Gelbakhiani (center)
"And then we danced" premiered this year at the International Film Festival in Cannes. Leading actor Levan Gelbakhiani has just been nominated for Best Actor at the 2019 European Film Awards, and the film is also in the running for the European University Film Award. The theatrical release in Germany is scheduled for March 2020.
Nationalists called for the protests. They claimed the film violated Georgian traditions. In addition, there are no gay dancers in the National Theater. The Orthodox Church in the country described the love drama as unacceptable, but reportedly distanced itself from violence. The US embassy in the Caucasus ex-Soviet republic had called for avoiding larger gatherings because of the danger of violence there.