A contemporary dancer and an asexual sign language interpreter navigate a romantic relationship in Slow, a tender drama from writer/director Marija Kavtaradze.
A talented rising filmmaker from Lithuania, Kavtaradze premiered her debut feature film, Summer Survivors, at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival. Her sophomore feature, Slow, exudes a quiet confidence in direction as it explores intimacy and relationships with nuance and care.
Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė) is a contemporary dancer. Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas) is a sign language interpreter. The two meet when Dovydas is assigned to interpret in a dance class Elena is teaching to a group of deaf youth. Elena and Dovydas hit it off, forming a natural connection that deepens into something else over the course of several dance sessions. It seems like it could easily move into a romantic relationship, but when Dovydas discloses that he is asexual, and Elena that she rarely engages in committed monogamy, the two must learn how to navigate their differences in order to forge a path forward together.
This is easier said than done, as we quickly discover. Throughout the film there’s a lack of communication between the two lead characters in terms of expectations, wants and needs, boundaries, and comfort zones—essentially, the key components of building a romantic foundation. For example, they don’t really discuss Dovydas’ asexuality and what it means for building their romantic relationship, just as they also don’t really discuss Elena’s need for sexual intimacy and how that will affect the relationship.
Although the onus isn’t on Dovydas to educate others about asexuality (and Elena acknowledges this), both partners share equal responsibility to communicate as best they can, lest they run into misunderstandings and get hurt. Elena and Dovydas try sometimes, but often they shy away from those conversations or react with judgment or anger when they don’t understand the other person’s perspective. Their love for each other is evident, but unfortunately their approach also leads to feelings of rejection, frustration and loneliness on both sides.
Elena and Dovydas make personal sacrifices to make each other happy, but they also try to push the other slightly beyond their boundaries. Nevertheless, when they’re in harmony they demonstrate to audiences a nuanced approach to intimacy that doesn’t rely on sexuality. Despite their failure to properly check in with one another, they allow themselves to feel their way through the relationship, letting the natural connection between them guide their way forward. This is one area where the film shines, in the quiet moments where Elena and Dovydas bask in each other as though the outside world doesn’t exist.
While the two characters struggle at times to feel self-confident and fulfilled within their relationship, they have their own external pursuits in which they find freedom of self-expression and release. For Elena, it’s contemporary dance. She has a small group of friends with whom she dances, and it’s full of the physical movement and energy she needs. Dancing allows her to connect physically with others and express herself in a way she can’t with Dovydas. Meanwhile, Dovydas’ outlet is working with musicians to translate love songs into sign language. The camera faces him head-on in front of a neutral background to better focus on his work. We see in his face and body language the way he emotionally connects with the intimacy of the lyrics, and his translations are deeply expressive.
Slow encourages us to root for the main characters, and while we empathize and connect with them, a part of us is reluctant to fully invest in their relationship because the way they approach it makes it seem likely it won’t work out long term. That said, the journey is a carefully crafted story that thoughtfully engages viewers and explores different meanings of intimacy.
Slow had its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition.
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