Marija Kavtaradze's "Slow": a crisscrossing of desire

THE OPINION OF THE “WORLD” – TO SEE

Dancer and choreographer Elena thrives in her work. The day she welcomes a group of deaf high school students, she must collaborate with Dovydas, a sign language interpreter who ensures the class is translated. From one session to the next, Elena senses a sort of "warm current" passing between them. The man and woman circle each other, kiss, and the moment of clarification arrives sooner than expected: Dovydas insists on warning Elena that he has never felt any sexual desire for anyone, he is asexual. The young woman doesn't know how to take this, which feels like an affront: what can Dovydas possibly feel if he doesn't want her body? What can it possibly mean to be in love without desire?

The second feature film by Lithuanian director Marija Kavtaradze, Slow takes act of what, in recent years, has shaken up the way we understand sexuality: the criticism of the heterosexual norm in favor of minority sexualities, which include asexuality. Add to that the renegotiation of gender roles, and Slow is riding the wave by reversing the roles usually assigned to men and women: sexual appetite will be for her.

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