Far-right protests greet Georgia LGBTQ+ film premiere

Protests have been taking place in Tbilisi over the premiere of Georgia’s first LGBTQ film, And Then We Danced.

Directed by Levan Akin, the film tells the story of how Merab, a traditional Georgian dancer, discovers his sexuality while training in the National Georgian Ensemble.

In an interview with Variety magazine, the award-winning Georgian-Swedish director said he wanted to show “the challenges of dealing with homosexuality in a conservative society, the hope in a new generation and the roles of art and tradition”.

And Then We Danced has already won several awards, including at the Chicago International Film Festival and the Sarajevo Film Festival. It has also been screened at other film festivals, including in Cannes and London.

Sweden has selected the film as its entry for the best international feature film award for the Oscars.

However, it has attracted controversy with protests from both church-goers and conservative groups.

via BBCNews