39/10
Chronology
In defiance of Russia’s anti-LGTBQ laws, a 21-year-old queer artist is risking her life to perform in surreal costumes across Moscow. In this SXSW documentary, Jenna Marvin mixes artistry and activism in her radical public performances. I’m sure many people will write about the value of Agniia Galdanova’s exceptional documentary about Russian queer drag artist Jenna. Gena Marvin (born Gennady Chebotarev), especially given all the persecution of members of the LGBTQ+ community in Putin’s Russia. You can’t help but be impressed by the audacity of some of Gena’s protests, videos, and stunts—to her credit, but also to the vast network of people involved, many of whom fear for their own personal safety. But for me, the cinematography of “Queendom”; also deserves a mention. The film’s production credits are so sparse that it looks like it was shot almost entirely on a phone camera—either by Galdanova or her cinematographer Ruslan Fedotov, which is a remarkable, truly, work of art. You can basically make a great movie on your phone. Don’t despair, though. Some people point a camera at something and take a picture, but filmmakers like to step back from what they’re looking at and see what’s really going on. In the right hands, the image conveys a deeper meaning. Of course, the Russians know all about this art form, with their famous film industry. Often, it just takes a simple technique, like holding the shot a little longer to help the viewer get more into the scene. For example, the bleak long shots taken in Gena’s hometown of Magadan, a shipping port in eastern Russia, are used as the backdrop for a bizarre “mini” shopping scene. drama that ends with a history lesson about how the city was used as a transit center for political prisoners during Stalin’s time. In Moscow, where Gena is studying, a long walk through the city center to Red Square in full costume shows the reactions of the people she passes, including military men on the metro, etc. The excellent conversational parts of “Queendom”; fill in the main storyline and create the film’s narrative, and many of Gena’s videos of amazing underground characters are cleverly woven into the overall fabric. Truly, you are witnessing art, you could be in an art gallery. Her expulsion from college in Moscow for participating in an anti-Putin protest, dressed in a provocative costume with the colors of the Russian Federation, merges with wonderful shots of improvised drama. There are also surreal moments, such as a ride through a fairground dressed in shiny bronze foil, after which Galdanova lags behind on several swings, truly inspired. Too many things to mention. Watch them and you’ll see! Credit to the artist, but equally credit to the artistry of the film… both are significant and worthy of attention. I’m sure ‘Queendom’ was very cleverly edited to tell the story the filmmakers wanted to tell. As one reviewer noted, it may have been left unfinished due to changing circumstances. That doesn’t make it any less important or beautiful to me, and I hope it gets noticed and wins lots of awards. Gena now lives in France, hopefully she can make money from her artwork. The film is currently available in the UK on BBC iPlayer as part of the ‘Storyville’ series of international documentaries.