TO DANCE IS TO RESIST

Synopsis

To Dance Is To Resist follows Jay and Vol’demar, a queer couple and professional dancers navigating life in Kyiv during Russia’s full-scale invasion. In a city under attack, the underground queer scene becomes a fragile sanctuary where dance, love, and artistic expression become acts of resistance. With intimate access to their lives, the film moves between tender moments at home during blackouts, rehearsals where bodies carry and release trauma, and underground raves pulsing with both joy and danger. As air raid sirens interrupt the night, Jay and Vol’demar find strength in their relationship, their artistic practice, and the community that surrounds them. Continuing to create and gather becomes an act of defiance, affirming life amid the devastation of war. Structured as a poetic, non-linear journey, the film weaves vérité footage with performance, archival fragments, and immersive cinematography to trace the emotional landscape of its protagonists. Sirens fold into synths, laughter breaks through silence, and Kyiv emerges as a wounded yet resilient presence. Its textured soundscape brings the city’s pulse to life, while dance becomes a means of processing trauma, reclaiming agency, and sustaining hope. To Dance Is To Resist is a testament to the power of art and queer community to endure in times of crisis.

Trailer