© DOGWOOF
QUEENDOM
Director—Agniia Galdanova
Documentary, FRA/USA 2023—98min—18+
Original version with English subtitles
Drag art as political activism: In Queendom, Gena Marvin stands up to the Russian government – with all its consequences.
Quenndom portrays the life and work of queer artist Gena Marvin in Russia. Gena‘s performance art is extravagantly political as well as painfully empowering. It attracts (media) attention and curious glances just like hostility and violent rejection. Not least because of her solidarity with Ukraine and open criticism of Russia‘s inhumane policies, her drag activism is criminalized.
With Queendom, Agniia Galdanova has created a documentary film that is touching. She has succeeded in using Gena Marvin‘s life to capture themes that go beyond the individual: The film shows us not only why art is political and how contradictions constitute the social fabric, but also why the medium of film is so important when it comes to capturing and contextualizing complex realities and current political events.