48/21
Despite Russia’s anti-LGBTQ laws, a queer 21-year-old artist is risking her life by performing in surreal costumes across Moscow. Jenna Marvin’s radical public performances in this SXSW documentary blend artistry and activism. I’m sure many people will write about the value of Agnia Galdanova’s excellent documentary about Russian queer drag performance artist Jenna/. Gena Marvin (born Gennady Chebotarev), especially given 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, which are to her credit, as well as the vast network of people involved, many of whom fear for their own personal safety. However, I think the film ‘Queendom’ is also worth highlighting. The film’s credits are so small that it looks like it was shot almost entirely on a phone camera, either by Galdanova or her cinematographer Ruslan Fedotov, which is unusual, really, a work of art in itself. You can basically make a great movie on your phone. Don’t get carried away, though. Some people point their camera at something and take pictures, 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. The Russians, of course, know all about this art form with their famous film industry. Often it’s just a matter of simple technique, like holding the shot a little longer to give the viewer a chance to take in the scene more fully. 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 strange shopping encounter in 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 to Red Square in full costume shows the reactions of the people she passes, including military personnel on the metro, etc. The great conversational parts in ‘Queendom’ fill in the basic plot and create the narrative of the film, and Gena’s many videos with wonderful underground characters are skillfully woven into the overall fabric. Indeed, 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, is mixed with amazing shots of improvised drama. There are also surreal moments, such as a ride through a fair dressed in shiny bronze foil, followed by Galdanov swinging a few swings behind her, truly inspired. Too many things to mention. Watch them and you will see! Kudos to the artist, but equally to the artistry of the film… both are significant and worthy of attention. I am sure that ‘Queendom’ was edited very skillfully to tell the story that the filmmakers wanted to tell. As one reviewer pointed out, it may not have been completed due to changing circumstances. That doesn’t make it any less important or beautiful to watch, I hope it gets noticed and wins many awards. Gena now lives in France, hopefully she will be able to monetize her art form. The film is currently available in the UK on BBC iPlayer as part of the ‘Storyville’ international documentary series.