Film as a reality creating force: And Then We Danced (2019) dir. Levan Akin

• Main Author: Hagstedt, Julia
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Malmö universitet, Fakulteten för kultur och samhälle (KS) 2020
• Subjects: LGBTQ+; Queer film; Georgia; Pierre Bourdieu; Social Sciences; Samhällsvetenskap
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:mau:diva-21042

In this thesis, I have analyzed and problematized the discourse surrounding And Then We Danced (2019) dir. Levan Akin, by analyzing the film itself by using concepts from Pierre Bourdieu, and investigating what role the film has played in the call for action regarding LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia. I sought out to answer the research questions of how the film And Then We Danced (2019) portrays how one can adapt ones habitus and social field, how the film provoked the political discussion about LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia, and how the reception the film received reflected where Georgia, Sweden and the EU stands regarding the road to LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia. Using Bourdieu, I came to the conclusion that the film portrays how one can adapt ones habitus and social field through Merab’s character arc in the film, and the director used his cultural capital (embodied, institutionalized, and objectified) to not only produce the film itself, but giving a social subfield (Georgia’s LGBTQ+ community) acknowledgment and recognition by involving them in his film. Because of the reaction the film received, it amplified the need for social change in Georgia, reaching news across the globe, putting the rights of LGBTQ+ people in Georgia on the global political agenda. The way the reception the film received reflected where Georgia, Sweden and the EU stands regarding the road to LGBTQ+ rights in Georgia is quite accurate to where they stand politically regarding the issue. Georgia is divided on the issue as they both protested against the film while simultaneously selling out out all of their tickets to see the film, Sweden remained supportive and proud of the film throughout the entire process, and the EU much like Georgia is quite divided as they both funded the film, but does not have a united front on where they stand regarding the issue.