Gena, a queer artist from a small town in Russia, dresses in otherworldly costumes made from junk and tape, and protests the government on the streets of Moscow.

Born and raised on the harsh streets of Magadan, a frigid outpost of the Soviet gulag, Gena is only 21. She stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism. By doing that, she wants to change people’s perception of beauty and queerness and bring attention to the harassment of the LGBTQ+ community. The performances - often dark, strange, evocative, and queer at their core - are a manifestation of Gena’s subconscious. But they come at a price. 

Beautiful and atmospheric, Agniia Galdanova’s film explores and extends Gena’s inner universe, skilfully capturing the defiance and vulnerability of this young activist over the course of four years. Pitched somewhere between art and activism, documentary and science fiction, it’s a powerful reminder of the worrying regression of LGBTQ+ rights in Russia – and elsewhere across the globe – as well as the potential of individuals to presage a freer, more vibrant future.

#ReclaimTheFrame with a recorded post-screening discussion between Director Agniia Galdanova, Artist Gena Marvin and Producer Igor Myakotin and our Director Melanie Iredale: 

Friday 1 December: 

Picturehouses, UK-wide

HOME, Manchester  

Wednesday 6 December: 

Showroom Cinema, Sheffield - Intro by Melanie Iredale

QUEENDOM will be presented with Descriptive Subtitles (SDH), and the recorded discussion is captioned.