Queendom 2023 DUAL.H.x265 Download Magnet
11/12
In defiance of Russia’s anti-LGTBQ laws, a 21-year-old queer performer risks her life by performing in surreal costumes across Moscow. Jenna Marvin’s radical public performances merge art and activism in this SXSW documentary. I’m sure many people will write about the value of Agniia Galdanova’s remarkable documentary about Russian queer drag performer Jenna/Gena Marvin (née Gennadiy Chebotarev), especially in light of all the persecution of LGBTQ+ members in Putin’s Russia. One can’t help but be struck by the audacity of some of Gena’s protests, videos, and stunts, a credit to her but also to the vast networks of people involved, many of whom fear for their personal safety. However, for me, the cinematography of “Queendom” is also worth highlighting. The credits for the film’s production 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 amazing, really, a work of art in itself. You can basically make a great film with your phone. Don’t get carried away though. Some people just point their camera at something and take pictures, but filmmakers like to look beyond what they’re looking at and see what’s actually happening. In the right hands, an image conveys a deeper meaning. The Russians know all about this art form, of course, with their celebrated film industry. Often it’s just a matter of simple technique, like holding a shot a little longer to give the viewer a chance to take in more of the scene. The gloomy long shots taken in Gena’s hometown of Magadan, a shipping port in eastern Russia, for example, are used as the backdrop for a strange shopping encounter, a “mini” drama that ends with a history lesson about how the city was used as a transit center for political prisoners during the Stalin era. In Moscow, where Gena studies, a long walk downtown to Red Square in costume shows the reactions of the people she encounters, including military personnel on the subway etc. The large conversational bits in “Queendom” fill out the basic plot and create the film’s narrative, and many of Gena’s video posts about wonderful underground characters are cleverly woven into the overall fabric. Really, you are witnessing art, you could be in an art gallery. Her expulsion from Moscow college for attending an anti-Putin protest dressed in a provocative costume in the colors of the Russian Federation is mixed with incredible shots of improvised drama. There are also surreal moments, like the ride on a fair dressed in a shiny bronze sheet, followed by Galdanova a few swings behind, truly inspired. Too many to mention. Watch and see! Credit to the artist, but credit also to the artistry of the film… both are important and worthy of attention. I am sure that “Queendom” was very skillfully edited to tell the story the filmmakers wanted to tell. As one reviewer pointed out, it may not have been completed due to changing circumstances. For me, that doesn’t make it any less important or beautiful to watch, I hope it gets noticed and wins lots of awards. Gena now lives in France, I hope she manages to monetise her art form. The film is currently available in the UK on BBC iPlayer as part of the internationally featured documentary series “Storyville”.
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