A troubling and powerful documentary, Welcome to Chechnya depicts the cruel and terrifying reality that people in the LGBTQ community face in the area. Through the united efforts of remarkably brave individuals, a few fortunate souls escape to more enlightened areas of the world. But not everyone is so lucky. The fight continues, and the Russian government continues to deny that the atrocities are taking place. Brace yourself before watching this one.
31 Reviews
Prejudice & Hate...
Xstal19 July 2020
... have been around for a long time but fortunately the people of the world have been able to learn, discover and evolve to recognise the power of diversity and to remove most prejudices and hatred from their cultures - especially over the last 50 years. How sad that there remain isolated examples of evil and that there are those who seek to build a culture on it. No different to the Nazis in the 1930s and 40s and it should be dealt with as such. Excellent and informative documentary highlights one such example.
More inspiring than disheartening
russell-415-6186661 July 2020
I've read a bit about Chechnya and the brutality of its regime and recall the stories of its brutal crackdown against LGBT people {stories which rarely make the news now) so I was expecting this doco to be a hard slog. The makers were deft at taking us on the underground railway of the network which saves gay and lesbian people by sneaking them out of Chechnya. We see the best qualities of humanity in the folk who risk so much to help others from being persecuted for being who they are. I was worried there'd be too many descriptions of torture and bashings etc. but they were just enough to give a sense of the horrors being committed. It was disheartening to hear how the people doing good are finding it harder to get asylum for the threatened. It's ad if the world is turning a blind eye. The film presents a forceful argument that persecution of a group in society is an ever present threat when leaders have impunity to express their dictatorial side: looking at you Putin and Trump.
Heart Wrenching And Important
atractiveeyes12 August 2020
This is such a beautiful, IMPORTANT, and heartbreaking documentary. Please everyone go see this doc to know what LGBTQ+ people are still going through in the 21st century. And this isn't the case only in Chechnya/Russia, it's similar in many other countries. The violence, abuse, discrimination, and crimes against gay people needs to stop, enough is enough. Although movies like Welcome to Chechnya are so sad and hard to see, I love seeing and recommending them because they reflect the bitter reality, awareness should be spread. Finally, sending love and respect to each and every LGBTQ+ individual/activist in the world.
Fantastic documentary
ziyanadsilva4 July 2020
I watched with tears in my eyes the whole time ! Shows how many people cant love openly but war openly and somehow the love will corrupt a society oppose to war and violence .. shout out to the people who fight for others freedom !!!!
Genocide of nowadays
mcartisable9 July 2020
Russia is a dangerous place. I live here so I can say it. And this film tells a small part of all the horrors that a lot of us see everyday: from total poverty when people literaly has nothing to eat, and alkoholism, domestic violence and police violence. And all such problems seem to be solvable but the most horrible truth is that all these happen becasuse of the government which are ex-communists and criminals who usurped power in 90s.
This film will show you a little part.
Bet, the next doc. you gotta watch (due to the anti-police protests in USA and other countries) is the situation about the police violence here. "Welcome to Chechnya" contains some part of the whole situation. But police violence happens all over the country in such scales it's hard to imagine!
Please watch this
tibodefeyter-6567127 July 2020
I usually don't write reviews, but for the documentary 'Welcome to Chechnya' I will make an exception. Instead of going into detail about the content of this documentary -as a review is supposed to do- I would like to refer to the numerous, other -undoubtedly better- reviews, that do. I however would just want to ask you to watch this documentary and cast your own judgement, for this documentary has stirred something in me, that few other documentaries have done. Thank you.
right to be yourself
Kirpianuscus7 April 2021
Significant remains the ball of emotions after its final credits. Because it is not about homophobia, a puppet leader from a Caucasian Republic and his dictatorship, about persecution of gays , about Russia under Putin. But about few people and their fight almost unrealistic. People like Olga Baranova, David Isteev, Maxim Lapunov , cases, danger, fears are pieces of a large tragedy about near reality. Few cases from many others, the effort to help, the selfishness and arrogance of two political regimes. And the basic human values. The film is not a manifesto, maybe not exactly a testimony. It is only a kick for a form of wake up. Not about LGBTQ+ rights , Pride manifestations or theories of genre but about right to be accepted as yourself, as person. Short, impressive, courageous, high useful.
A terrible story, but not much content
paul2001sw-14 July 2020
Asked about the state sponsored brutality towards gay people, the monstrous president of Chechnya replies "There are no gays here. The gays have made up the stories. Please, take our gays away from us!" It's truly shocking. But nonetheless, this documentary, about the attempts of activists to protect those threatened, could have done with some editing. Their struggle might be heroic; but the film mostly depicts people sitting around in safe houses, not doing much as they wait for a chance of exit. Perhaps to protect their own safety, we hear relatively little of their life stories; we can logically sympathise with their plight, but the film overall is short of both narrative, and of broader political context.
Riveting, shocking, heartbreaking
paul-allaer2 July 2020
"Welcome to Chechnya" (2020 release; 107 min.) is a documentary about the LGBT-bashing/LGBT-hunting that goes on in the Russian republic of Chechnya (and condoned by the Kremlin). As the movie opens, we are reminded that for people appearing in the film who are fearing for their lives, their faces have been "digitally disguised". We then meet David Isteev, the director of the Russian LGBT Network. He is on the phone with Anya, a 21 yr. old in Chechnya who informs him (and us) that her uncle has figured out she is lesbian, and now threatens to disclose this to her father, unless she agrees to have sex with him. David agrees to set up an intervention to get her out of Chechnya and Russia. We then step back and come to understand that rumors of mass detentions of gays started in 2017 when during a drug raid, the Chechnyan cops happen to stumble on gay materials on some guy's cell phone, and how the gay-hunting spread from there. At this point we are 10 tense minutes into the movie...
Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from award-winning writer-director David France. Here he and his production team go clandestine in Chechnya and other places in Russia (mostly Moscow) to witness first hand what is going on in the LGTB community there, and how the Russian LGTB Network tries, against all odds and risking life and limb (literally) under unimaginable pressure, to help the prosecuted. The documentary follows in particular the fate of the aforementioned Anya, as well as the fate of 30 yr. old Grisha, whose life of not only himself but also his entire family, is at stake (in the real sense of the word). PLEASE NOTE: the documentary includes video footage that the Russian LGTB activists have intercepted, showing various LGTB men and women being beaten, kicked, assaulted, and worse. It is almost too much to watch, but of course drives the point home that the LGTB bashing and hunting in Chechnya is very real and ongoing. My heart goes out to the LGTB community there, of course. The real heroes (for me anyway) are the people manning the Russian LGTB Network, doing miracle work, even as they know and understand that indeed the entire might of the Russian state is working against them. It makes for riveting, shocking, and yes, heartbreaking, watching. The documentary also dryly notes that Canada has accepted a number of Chechnyan LGTB refugees on humanitarian grounds, whereas the Trump administration has not accepted a single one. Not one! For shame.
"Welcome to Chechnya" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival (ah yes, the pre-COVID-19 days!) to immediate acclaim, and earlier this week it premiered on HBO, where I saw this. There is good reason why this film is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. If you have any interest in understanding what is going on in Chechnya and Russia for the LGTB community, or simply love a profound human interest story, I'd readily suggest you check this out on HBO On Demand or other streaming services, and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from award-winning writer-director David France. Here he and his production team go clandestine in Chechnya and other places in Russia (mostly Moscow) to witness first hand what is going on in the LGTB community there, and how the Russian LGTB Network tries, against all odds and risking life and limb (literally) under unimaginable pressure, to help the prosecuted. The documentary follows in particular the fate of the aforementioned Anya, as well as the fate of 30 yr. old Grisha, whose life of not only himself but also his entire family, is at stake (in the real sense of the word). PLEASE NOTE: the documentary includes video footage that the Russian LGTB activists have intercepted, showing various LGTB men and women being beaten, kicked, assaulted, and worse. It is almost too much to watch, but of course drives the point home that the LGTB bashing and hunting in Chechnya is very real and ongoing. My heart goes out to the LGTB community there, of course. The real heroes (for me anyway) are the people manning the Russian LGTB Network, doing miracle work, even as they know and understand that indeed the entire might of the Russian state is working against them. It makes for riveting, shocking, and yes, heartbreaking, watching. The documentary also dryly notes that Canada has accepted a number of Chechnyan LGTB refugees on humanitarian grounds, whereas the Trump administration has not accepted a single one. Not one! For shame.
"Welcome to Chechnya" premiered at this year's Sundance film festival (ah yes, the pre-COVID-19 days!) to immediate acclaim, and earlier this week it premiered on HBO, where I saw this. There is good reason why this film is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. If you have any interest in understanding what is going on in Chechnya and Russia for the LGTB community, or simply love a profound human interest story, I'd readily suggest you check this out on HBO On Demand or other streaming services, and draw your own conclusion.
Explanation below
davidsid-davidsid24 March 2021
I watched the documentary a few day ago:
@Leftist Liberals: I blame you for every single victim of hate crime and especially those who died because of their sexual orientation. The problem with you guys is that you always deepen discrepancies between minorities only to get some more votes. You only use these minorities for your own political, selfish agenda. It isn't by far about gays! You push an aggressive agenda only to scorn the Right and other people who otherwise wouldn't have any problem with people's sexual orientation or other minorities. YET their innocent blood is on your hands.
@LGBTIQ activists like David and Olga: I am completely against any aggressive form of activism like I have stated above. Having said this, I think you have done a wonderful job saving those people's life. They aren't gay, they are human beings. But congrats for the both of you for making a huge effort to provide a safe haven for all those people in serious trouble.
@RamzamKadirov: If the accusations are true and you are involved in the torture and killing of people whether gays or not, I think you seriously need to reconsider yourself mate. First of all you claim to be a Muslim. I know that the god you believe in should be a god of love. If we love someone, we don't torture or kill them, no matter what, otherwise you sink to their level. I deeply understand that you need to protect values like family, tradition and faith, and I even think that you're right in these matters! This liberal world isn't giving anyone a future full of hope, protection and stability. Liberalism brings chaos, anarchy and confusion. I agree with you on fighting against it. But like I said, if you truly believe in Allah, than I think he wouldn't agree with you murdering people, no matter the crime. There are levels of punishment, reintegration, education through which you can achieve more and your hands will be clean. Your task is to portray a picture of Allah that is Merciful and not vengeful or a murderer. If you think that there are people in the republic you are given from Allah to rule over for this period then you should do it mercifully and find ways of integrating them into the society you're dreaming of. What do you expect by not showing mercy to people? What do you think your after life will be if you are engaging yourself into torturing and murdering people? Allah is merciful, so you should be! Think about it, because you have been given a huge task, responsibility. Many people's life depend on you for the moment, FOR THE MOMENT. Try to rule over the republic with a clean hand and heart to be able to be proud of yourself when you'll look back to the past. Be merciful because your Allah is also merciful as far as I'm concerned.
The Vice HBO: It was an interesting documentary and I appreciate highlighting an issue that has never been spoken about. However I think some aspects of the film are highly politically motivated. You guys should be work harder on impartiality, professionalism and not being left leaning biased.
@Leftist Liberals: I blame you for every single victim of hate crime and especially those who died because of their sexual orientation. The problem with you guys is that you always deepen discrepancies between minorities only to get some more votes. You only use these minorities for your own political, selfish agenda. It isn't by far about gays! You push an aggressive agenda only to scorn the Right and other people who otherwise wouldn't have any problem with people's sexual orientation or other minorities. YET their innocent blood is on your hands.
@LGBTIQ activists like David and Olga: I am completely against any aggressive form of activism like I have stated above. Having said this, I think you have done a wonderful job saving those people's life. They aren't gay, they are human beings. But congrats for the both of you for making a huge effort to provide a safe haven for all those people in serious trouble.
@RamzamKadirov: If the accusations are true and you are involved in the torture and killing of people whether gays or not, I think you seriously need to reconsider yourself mate. First of all you claim to be a Muslim. I know that the god you believe in should be a god of love. If we love someone, we don't torture or kill them, no matter what, otherwise you sink to their level. I deeply understand that you need to protect values like family, tradition and faith, and I even think that you're right in these matters! This liberal world isn't giving anyone a future full of hope, protection and stability. Liberalism brings chaos, anarchy and confusion. I agree with you on fighting against it. But like I said, if you truly believe in Allah, than I think he wouldn't agree with you murdering people, no matter the crime. There are levels of punishment, reintegration, education through which you can achieve more and your hands will be clean. Your task is to portray a picture of Allah that is Merciful and not vengeful or a murderer. If you think that there are people in the republic you are given from Allah to rule over for this period then you should do it mercifully and find ways of integrating them into the society you're dreaming of. What do you expect by not showing mercy to people? What do you think your after life will be if you are engaging yourself into torturing and murdering people? Allah is merciful, so you should be! Think about it, because you have been given a huge task, responsibility. Many people's life depend on you for the moment, FOR THE MOMENT. Try to rule over the republic with a clean hand and heart to be able to be proud of yourself when you'll look back to the past. Be merciful because your Allah is also merciful as far as I'm concerned.
The Vice HBO: It was an interesting documentary and I appreciate highlighting an issue that has never been spoken about. However I think some aspects of the film are highly politically motivated. You guys should be work harder on impartiality, professionalism and not being left leaning biased.
What can one say ?
jromanbaker3 July 2020
It is difficult to write a review about this film. I will give no spoilers except to offer one image. A man is being tortured. A rat is put upon his back, and the rat is covered by a hot pot. The rat caught starts eating its way into the man's back. Some people have died this way. This is a claim made by someone who has been tortured. People disappear. One is well known. Chechnya is part of Russia. I have no opinions. It is dangerous to have opinions. The BBC was brave in showing the film, but my single comment is that it would have perhaps reached more people on its main channel, BBC 1. A documentary that shows love and bravery in equal measure.
Like it, and
calmirio4 July 2022
And I am waiting for new episodes, like:
And maybe prepare for one more episode (just in case) on US Supreme Court when they will scrap LGBTQ+ rights, the way they did it recently with you know what.
There is one thing that it gets me all the time, on any subject, and that is hypocrisy and hypocrites.
- Welcome to KSA
- Welcome to Pakistan
- Welcome to Iran
- Welcome to (you name it)
And maybe prepare for one more episode (just in case) on US Supreme Court when they will scrap LGBTQ+ rights, the way they did it recently with you know what.
There is one thing that it gets me all the time, on any subject, and that is hypocrisy and hypocrites.
there is no chechens
mishap044 July 2020
No chechens in a whole movie, i'm dissapointed. I was waiting for movie about chechen LGBT community, but there is only russians. Main character is a russian gey who wasn't even hiding his face in real life but in the movie they did hide his face... wierd. Lowquality nonsense
Just an Important film..
wbsimsjr-324052 July 2020
It always gets me when people 'put' films in with hollywood formula flicks.. There are times I sit to watch a movie and I realize it's just not the time/mood to watch, it does make all the difference.. I wasn't in the particular mood to watch something of a serious nature, but it wasn't long before I was fully invested in the events..
Welcome to Chechnya is far from uninteresting, the director used many techniques to follow along to record events..
Regardless of the flow of the flick; a thoughtful person would realize, especially with the events of 2020 and since 2016 how much difference leadership can turn everything upside down and a group targeted. It is something to ponder and be ready to vote dinosaur leaders out....
Heartbreaking
uhomme3 July 2020
A reminder for all of us who are fortunate to live in a democratic and human rights respectful counties that we must constantly fight for our rights and liberties. It is a sickening and eye opening that people and societies only comparable with the third reich still exist.
Homophobic despotism in Chechnya.
danybur16 March 2021
Tremendous documentary by David France that shows us the actions of the NGO Russian LGTB Network.
A strong complaint about the discriminatory, repressive and criminal policy of the Chechen government against its LGBTQ population, involving their families as repressive agents, in a country whose president, the confessed homophobe Kadyrov, has the explicit support of Putin.
Review:
Chechnya is a small, Muslim-majority republic located in the North Caucasus that is part of the Russian Federation. Its president, Ramzan Kadyrov, a millionaire who governs it in an autocratic way with the frank support of Putin, carries out a violent homo and transphobic policy, imprisoning and torturing homosexual men and women so that they "expose" others. Some were assassinated by the government - since they did not survive the torture - and most are returned to their families so that they "take care of them", that is, for them to kill them themselves. On the other hand, there are several denounced by their own families.
This tremendous documentary follows the risky task of some members of the Russian LGTB Network, an NGO (linked to others from abroad) dedicated to rescuing Chechen homosexuals by surreptitiously removing them from that country, housing them in different secret shelters (one of them in Moscow) and manage their emigration to countries that host them as refugees. The cases dealt with are mainly two: one of a Russian who made an occasional visit to Grozny, the Chechen capital and was arrested and tortured, and another of a lesbian Chechen girl extorted by her uncle.
Let us clarify that Russia itself is not a safe haven for rescued homosexuals either.
To preserve the identity of the refugees, their families and partners, the documentary uses the deepfake technique, where the face and voice of some of them are digitally replaced by the faces and voices of actors.
We observe what daily life is like in the shelters, moving family scenes and, in many moments, the story is tense with scenes worthy of a spy movie. In addition, very harsh videos of arrests and abuses by the Chechen police forces intercepted by the NGO are inserted.
In sum, this tremendous documentary by David France constitutes a strong denunciation of the discriminatory, repressive and criminal policy of the Chechen government against its homosexual population, in which it involves families as repressive agents, in a country whose president, the confessed homophobe Kadyrov , has the explicit support of Putin.
A strong complaint about the discriminatory, repressive and criminal policy of the Chechen government against its LGBTQ population, involving their families as repressive agents, in a country whose president, the confessed homophobe Kadyrov, has the explicit support of Putin.
Review:
Chechnya is a small, Muslim-majority republic located in the North Caucasus that is part of the Russian Federation. Its president, Ramzan Kadyrov, a millionaire who governs it in an autocratic way with the frank support of Putin, carries out a violent homo and transphobic policy, imprisoning and torturing homosexual men and women so that they "expose" others. Some were assassinated by the government - since they did not survive the torture - and most are returned to their families so that they "take care of them", that is, for them to kill them themselves. On the other hand, there are several denounced by their own families.
This tremendous documentary follows the risky task of some members of the Russian LGTB Network, an NGO (linked to others from abroad) dedicated to rescuing Chechen homosexuals by surreptitiously removing them from that country, housing them in different secret shelters (one of them in Moscow) and manage their emigration to countries that host them as refugees. The cases dealt with are mainly two: one of a Russian who made an occasional visit to Grozny, the Chechen capital and was arrested and tortured, and another of a lesbian Chechen girl extorted by her uncle.
Let us clarify that Russia itself is not a safe haven for rescued homosexuals either.
To preserve the identity of the refugees, their families and partners, the documentary uses the deepfake technique, where the face and voice of some of them are digitally replaced by the faces and voices of actors.
We observe what daily life is like in the shelters, moving family scenes and, in many moments, the story is tense with scenes worthy of a spy movie. In addition, very harsh videos of arrests and abuses by the Chechen police forces intercepted by the NGO are inserted.
In sum, this tremendous documentary by David France constitutes a strong denunciation of the discriminatory, repressive and criminal policy of the Chechen government against its homosexual population, in which it involves families as repressive agents, in a country whose president, the confessed homophobe Kadyrov , has the explicit support of Putin.
At times, hard to watch, but powerful
breadandhammers27 September 2020
Warning: Spoilers
"Welcome to Chechnya" documents the persecution of gay men and lesbian women in Chechnya, a republic of the Russian Federation. It follows the Moscow Community Center LGBT group and their efforts to shelter gay people in danger, including "Grisha" (later revealed to be Maxim Lapunov), an event planner who is not even ethnically Chechnyan. The story is powerful, gripping, and tense, and at times hard to watch, especially when they intercut candid footage of gays being beat up.
Lost for words
laduqesa31 October 2020
This is going to be a short review. I'm astounded at the bravery of the rescue organisations portrayed in the film and the terrible and dangerous odds they have to work against. And I am so sorry for the individuals shown whose lives have been ruined by unreasoning hate. I am shocked to the core at the horror of what happens in Chechnya and also in Russia as shown in the clips of queer bashing and worse that are interspersed between some of the stories.
What a terrible place to live. What evil. The film conveyed it with dispassion, the mark of a conventional documentary. There was no need for a position to be taken, the characters and events spoke for themselves. Only those of truly perverted, evil minds could support what was happening to gay men and women in Chechnya as well as in Russia.
This doesn't have to be a gay person's documentary. I would recommend anyone to watch so they are aware that wickedness takes many forms.
What a terrible place to live. What evil. The film conveyed it with dispassion, the mark of a conventional documentary. There was no need for a position to be taken, the characters and events spoke for themselves. Only those of truly perverted, evil minds could support what was happening to gay men and women in Chechnya as well as in Russia.
This doesn't have to be a gay person's documentary. I would recommend anyone to watch so they are aware that wickedness takes many forms.
Important document
martajochym13 March 2021
Strong, important document about violation of human rights in Czecznia in the context of LGBT community. Everybody should see it. The documentary shows heroic efforts and risks that some people take to help those in need. I could see similarity between the situation of gays in Czecznia now and Jews in Europe in 1930s.
Cinema Omnivore - Welcome to Chechnya (2020) 8.3/10
lasttimeisaw15 June 2022
"It is equally incredible France manages to adopt an advanced deepfake technology to replace the faces of those Chechen escapees, activists and their family members with those of volunteers', in order to keep their identity confidential but also retain the film's emotional weight as on the screen there are real people showing true feelings albeit with a different visage. This revolutionary invention is a giant step in terms of finding a fine balance between truth and privacy, no more hidden in the darkness or covering their faces, subjects and interviewees can express more freely and openly (although it does attribute a feeling of uncanniness in close inspection). When Lapunov is seen in public making his statement, his face is changed back to his own, it prompts an subtle but galvanizing jolt in audience who has been familiar with his fake face hitherto, which can be well metaphorically construed that we are jolted by his act of intrepidity, by the power of truthfulness that is the unalienable guideline no. 1 in this métier."
read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanks.
read my full review on my blog: Cinema Omnivore, thanks.
no stories of gay Chechens. it's a pity
lgbtchechnya4 July 2020
An important topic and films about this should be produced and made more professionally and with a deeper analysis of what is happening.
Assigning an injury to Chechen gays for a Russian gay is not correct. in the same way as the appropriation of an imminent threat to gay Chechens.
Covering the face of a Russian gay who did not hide his face and had already made a public statement, the filmmakers devalue the impending threat to gay Chechens.
the use in the film without permission of video of gays from Chechnya who are now in Chechnya and who are in danger because of this is not ethical.
Mans inhumanity to man
cekadah15 August 2021
To be honest I couldn't finish this movie because it turned my stomach. How crewl can people be to those who just want 'to be'? Obviously they can be very crewl.
With each show that I see about how the LGBT citizens are oppressed and punished I always say - "Look at the source of the hate - religion - all religions! And this hate is preached in the pulpit and supported by people tithing to finance this hate.
With each show that I see about how the LGBT citizens are oppressed and punished I always say - "Look at the source of the hate - religion - all religions! And this hate is preached in the pulpit and supported by people tithing to finance this hate.
You'll die if they catch you
Red-1258 October 2020
The documentary Welcome to Chechnya (2020) was co-written and directed by David France.
We meet three brave people: Olga Baranova, David Isteev, and Maxim Lapunov. They form the core of an underground railroad to get LGBT people out of Chechnya. That's because if you're identified as LGBT in Chechnya, you'll be dragged into prison, tortured, and sometimes killed.
This isn't an enjoyable movie, but it's an important one. The strongman of Chechnya is Ramzan Kadyrov. He is a well known violator of human rights, except that he wasn't well known to me. (That's why people make these documentaries.)
The people of the underground railway are, themselves, risking their lives. I was impressed by their bravery and resourcefulness, but discouraged about the fact that they faced such an difficult struggle. They have saved hundreds of people by their incredible efforts, but we know that there are thousands more who need their help.
Kadyrov is Putin's puppet, and Putin thinks what Kadyrov is doing is fine. Canada has accepted LGBT people from Chechnya, which is to their credit. The U.S. has not given asylum to a single LGBT person from Chechnya. Are you surprised?
We saw this film courtesy of ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It's a great film to start the festival, and it was screened for free. The movie has a very strong IMDb rating of 8.0. I thought it was even better than that, and rated it 9.
We meet three brave people: Olga Baranova, David Isteev, and Maxim Lapunov. They form the core of an underground railroad to get LGBT people out of Chechnya. That's because if you're identified as LGBT in Chechnya, you'll be dragged into prison, tortured, and sometimes killed.
This isn't an enjoyable movie, but it's an important one. The strongman of Chechnya is Ramzan Kadyrov. He is a well known violator of human rights, except that he wasn't well known to me. (That's why people make these documentaries.)
The people of the underground railway are, themselves, risking their lives. I was impressed by their bravery and resourcefulness, but discouraged about the fact that they faced such an difficult struggle. They have saved hundreds of people by their incredible efforts, but we know that there are thousands more who need their help.
Kadyrov is Putin's puppet, and Putin thinks what Kadyrov is doing is fine. Canada has accepted LGBT people from Chechnya, which is to their credit. The U.S. has not given asylum to a single LGBT person from Chechnya. Are you surprised?
We saw this film courtesy of ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival. It's a great film to start the festival, and it was screened for free. The movie has a very strong IMDb rating of 8.0. I thought it was even better than that, and rated it 9.
Incredible Documentary
jackyFell-182896 February 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The overwhelming anxiety of what these people go through was palpable the entire time. I was fascinated to read about the use of Deep Fake technology to hide their identities and very touched to learn their appearances were masked by the faces of Gay men in New York.
See also
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