There's something primal and primordial about the physical activity of dance and its ability to express passions and emotions words can't properly encapsulate; as Leonard Cohen once sang, "dance me to the end of love." In Levan Akin's stunning And Then We Danced, dance becomes the conduit for a forbidden love between a young dancer named Merab (a rousing, expressive breakout from Levan Gelbakhiani) and his mysterious, rebellious rival Irakli (Bachi Vilishvili). A touching, layered tale of queer love amidst the restrictive traditions of Georgian culture, it's one of the best films of last year, chiefly due to Akin's deft directorial hand and the loose, cinema verite approach to capturing the little details of Merab's world of dance.   After spending more than a year spinning around the festival circuit -- it premiered to a rousing response at Cannes, and has made its way through OUTshine, Chicago International Film Fest and even this year's Sundance -- And Then We Danced is finally coming to wider release. It premiered last weekend in NY and LA, and is hitting Chicago's Music Box Theatre on Valentine's Day (Music Box Films has picked up the film for distribution). The Spool sat down for a lovely chat with writer/director Levan Akin about the film's origins, Akin's desire to open up the world (and Georgian culture in particular) to a greater tolerance of LGBTQ+ people, and the protests and secrecy that have hounded this film in its home country around its release. (More of a Comment, Really… is a proud member of the Chicago Podcast Coop. Thanks to Overcast for sponsoring this episode!)