I'm sure many people will write about the value of Agniia Galdanova's outstanding documentary about the Russian queer drag performance artist Jenna/Gena Marvin (born Gennadiy Chebotarev), particularly in the light of all the persecution of members of the LGBTQ+ community in Putin's Russia. You can't fail to be impressed by the audacity of some of Gena's protests, videos and stunts, a credit to her but also 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 production credits for the film are so slim, it looks like it was shot almost entirely with a phone camera, either by Galdanova or her cinematographer Ruslan Fedotov, which is extraordinary, really, a work of art in itself. Basically, you can make a great film on your phone. Don't get carried away though. Some people point the camera at something and take pictures, but film makers like to get behind what they're looking at and see what's really happening. In the right hands an image conveys deeper meaning. Russians know all about this artform, of course, with their celebrated film industry.
Often it's just a matter of simple technique, like holding a shot slightly longer to give the viewer chance to take in the scene more fully. The bleak long pictures taken in Gena's hometown Magadan, a shipping port way out in the east of Russia, for example, are used as a backdrop for an odd shopping encounter a 'mini' drama that ends in a history lesson about how the town was used a transit centre for political prisoners during the Stalin era. In Moscow where Gena studies, a long walk downtown to Red Square in full costume shows the reactions of people she passes, including military personnel on the Metro etc. Great conversational parts in 'Queendom' fill in the basic storyline and create the narrative of the film, and many of Gena's video posts of wondrous subterranean characters are skillfully woven into the overall fabric. Really, you're witnessing art, you could be at an art gallery. Her expulsion from college in Moscow for attending an anti-Putin protest dressed in a provocative costume with the colours of the Russian Federation is blended with amazing footage of improvized drama. There are surreal moments, too, like the ride on a fairground dressed in shiny bronze foil, followed round by Galdanova a few swings behind, truly inspired.
Too many things to mention. Watch them and you'll see! Credit to the artist, but credit equally to the artistry of the film ... both are consequential and worthy of attention. I'm certain 'Queendom' was edited very skillfully to tell the story the film makers wanted to tell. As one reviewer has pointed out, it may not have been finished due to changing circumstances. For me, that doesn't make it any less important or beautiful to watch, I hope it will get noticed and win lots of awards. Gena now lives in France, hopefully she will be able to monetize her artform. The film is currently available in the UK on BBC iPlayer as part of the 'Storyville' series of featured international documentaries.
