Welcome to Chechnya (2020)
Genre: Documentary
Duration: 107 minuten
Country:
United States
Directed by: David France
Stars: Olga Baranova, David Isteev and Maxim Lapunov
IMDb score:
7,9 (3.408)
Releasedate: 26 January 2020
Welcome to Chechnya plot
"Inside the Russian Republic's deadly war on gays"
A group of activists risk their lives to fight for LGBTQ rights in Chechnya. In Russia it is dangerous to come out about your sexuality if you are not heterosexual. In fact, it is so dangerous that the 23 people in the documentary who are fleeing are absolutely unable to show their faces to the world. If it becomes known who they are, they run the risk of being hunted and even mistreated.
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Reviews & comments
sinterklaas
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- 11835 messages
- 3326 votes
A 21st century Russia.
Spicy and mainly nasty documentary about gay/lesbian youths who flee from Chechnya to Russia to go into hiding in a secret building in Moscow. Why go to Moscow you might think; where it is as risky for gays as their homeland....
These young people are well assisted and supported by two activists and this results in many intensive and poignant recordings; considering that this is not an acted film for once. You immediately have a huge amount of sympathy for all the participants in this film. How brave they are and how they persevere to reach their goal. The gay couple, the lesbian young lady... You sympathize with them.
In between, we also get to see archive images that are not sickening. Where gays are mercilessly attacked, kicked, beaten, tortured and even raped in front of the smartphone camera... and the government supposedly knows nothing.
Until the certain moment when I didn't see it coming at all.
A merciless, confrontational but also hopeful documentary. You have to see it to believe.
4.0*
Translated from Dutch · View original
T.O.
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- 2484 messages
- 2873 votes
A gripping documentary about anti-LGBT violence in semi-lawless Chechnya, in fact a glorified province of Russia. The state denies everything and seems to (at least) tolerate the behavior. The NGO involved - which seems to have everything in order financially and PR-wise - is doing a brave job in bringing victims to safety.
What comes out well is the life of the refugees; after the initial relief, they appear to end up in a cycle of fear, lack of freedom and boredom.
By the way, a poor average here, compared to the previous comments and the figure on IMDB. No comments from the low voters?
Translated from Dutch · View original
mrklm
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- 12465 messages
- 10512 votes
Olga Baranova and David Isteev are committed to people who are at risk of falling victim to the purges in Russia (and Chechnya in particular). France filmed in the crisis center and guaranteed the anonymity of the victims by distorting their faces using deep-fake. Using that technique can distract from the subject, but France regularly adds authentic images (intercepted by activists) in which we see the Russian Federation as a haven for discrimination, aggravated assault and persecution of anyone who does not conform to the traditional heterosexual norm.
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