Slow: "A gorgeous, heartbreaking gem of a film"
When dancer Elena meets sign language interpreter Dovydas their instant connection bodes well for a romantic relationship. But when Doyvdas reveals he’s asexual, their dynamic changes. From Sundance-winning director Marija Kavtaradze comes a modern love story about two people exploring how to build their own kind of intimacy.
Our Film Programme Coordinator Kate tells us more about Slow, and why she chose it to be part of our film programme in May.
Gorgeous and intimate, Slow is the latest film by Lithuanian director Marija Kavtaradzė, which follows Elena and Dovydas, who meet through their work and feel an immediate attraction. They begin seeing each other, but the dynamic changes when Dovydas reveals he’s asexual.
It dawned on me as I was watching the film that I don’t think I’ve ever seen a film that deals with asexuality before; it remains one of the least explored parts of the LGBTQIA+ community. What’s striking is, for a film about two people not having sex, how sexy this film feels: the two leads have some of the most natural chemistry I’ve seen for a while. It bubbles over and off the screen and watching them together really feels like falling in love; a very infectious feeling. Dovydas’ asexuality doesn’t mean there’s a lack of desire or physical closeness; it just stops at sex.
As the pair try to work out how to navigate this new relationship it’s interesting that the characters' work is foregrounded so heavily. In different ways, they both use their bodies to communicate – Elena is an interpretive dancer and Dovydas, a sign language interpreter. Through movement, they convey information and emotion. Meanwhile in their own relationship, they struggle to communicate to each other their very different needs, exploring the difference between sex and intimacy.
Filmed naturalistically on grainy, washed-out film stock, simmering with the kind of romance I haven’t seen on screen before, Slow feels like a rare find.
Slow is showing here at Broadway from Friday 24 May.
