SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER: World Cinema dramatic competition (Directing Award: World Cinema Dramatic)
Contemporary dancer Elena meets Dovydas when he is assigned to interpret via sign language in a class she is teaching to deaf youth. Their connection is immediate, kinetic, and frictionless. As they gravitate toward each other, resisting the forces and interventions of their separate daily lives, their bond deepens from platonic to romantic. When Dovydas discloses his asexuality, the couple commit themselves to honoring their individual needs in tandem. As they continue to weave more tightly together, they struggle to negotiate sacrifice and compromise and are forced to discover the edges of their generosity toward the other.
Marija Kavtaradze’s sophomore feature shows off her muscular intimacy skills. Through dance, tense quietude, and a stunningly singular exploration of asexuality, she forefronts physicality and its limitations in the expression of emotional expectation. The two leads, Greta Grinevičiūtė (Elena) and Kęstutis Cicėnas (Dovydas), conjure undeniable chemistry and heartbreakingly complicated, stubborn, and private humanity. The result is an instantly recognizable dance between self and other; this one choreographed with elegance, grace, and love.
