As I watched the poignant and powerful Queendom, I could not help thinking of “the personal is the political,” a catchphrase from the 1970s that was often used by feminists to validate the importance of personal, lived experience in the struggle to liberate themselves from oppressive structural systems.
Agniia Galdanova‘s documentary, which was screened last week at this year’s DOC NYC festival, had earlier premiered at SXSW 2023 and also received the Next Wave grand jury award at Copenhagen’s CPH:DOX festival. Queendom offers a glimpse into the harrowing experience of being openly queer in Vladimir Putin’s Russia.
In 2023, the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation condemned the “international LGBTQ movement,” paving the way for a draconian crackdown on queer expression in the country. Galdanova’s film tells the story of Jenna Marvin, a 21-year-old non-binary Russian from a small town in Siberia, eight time zones east of Moscow, where they are shown in a love-hate relationship with traditional grandparents who alternate between grudging acceptance and conditional love.
In the filmmaker’s treatment, Jenna possesses none of the self-pitying stereotypes of the classic “drag queen.” Instead, they are portrayed as bold and fearless, but never overbearing or bitchy. Though Queendom is undoubtedly political, it is not polemical or didactic by any means. Galdanova wisely refrains from theorizing about the issue. She instinctively knows that the best way for viewers to understand Jenna’s rage is simply to point the camera at them. Jenna’s fashion sense is exquisite: it’s truly amazing what they can do with saran wrap, duct tape, and gold lame. After all, Jenna has long since concluded that they must march (in high heels, of course) to a different drummer, even if that means parading through the streets and subways of Moscow decked out in elaborate and extravagant plumage.
Jenna Marvin is decidedly not someone who is constantly questioning their identity. They are portrayed as a brave and authentic soul who refuses to hide their true self behind a façade of conformity. It is this core belief that leads Jenna to don a barbed-wire costume and confront police officers in Moscow as a protest against the war in Ukraine.
Emboldened and terrified by this encounter, Genna decides that they can no longer remain in their native Russia. Fortunately, they obtain a visa just at the last possible moment and embark for Paris, where they can finally breathe free. As Jenna struts and frets their hour upon the stage, two things are abundantly clear: rage has its rewards and fortune favors the flamboyant.
Rating: A
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Here’s the trailer of the film.