SXSW2023: World Premiere of Documentary ‘Queendom’

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AUSTIN, TX – It’s ironic that the film “Queendom” played the SXSW Film & TV Festival right down the street from the Texas legislature, which is leading the charge in American for the dissolution of LGBTQ+ rights and specifically drag queens. This story is from Russia, which at one time was held up as the opposite to where American should be.

Gena, a 21-year-old 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. Her radical performances in public became a new form of art and activism, and by doing that, she changed people’s perception of beauty and queerness, as well as brought attention to the harassment of the LGBTQ+ community. The performances are a manifestation of Gena’s subconscious, and are strange, evocation and queer to the core. But they ultimately come at a price.

CAPSULE REVIEW: Director Agnila Galdanova came upon Gena through her Instagram account, and caught the artist at the peak during Russian oppression of LGBTQ+ people in the country (it’s now “illegal” to be gay). Step by step, as the powers of oppression chase Gena through her protests, it eventually has her leave the homeland, but at least she had the opportunity. As we allow this process similarly to unfold in America, “Queendom” becomes a cautionary tale of what we lose in hatred.

“Qdom"
Queendom
Photo credit: SXSW.com

Excerpt from “Queendom” …

The 2023 South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference and Festivals took place on March 10th through March 19th. For all information click on SXSW.com

HollywoodChicago.com senior staff writer Patrick McDonald

By PATRICK McDONALD
Editor and Film Critic/Writer
HollywoodChicago.com
pat@hollywoodchicago.com

© 2023 Patrick McDonald, HollywoodChicago.com

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