Gay Film “Pride” Runs in Anti Gay Russia to a Standing Ovation
The Russian poster for ‘Pride' (Photo: Arthouse/Instagram)
Hit British film Pride (2014) was released in Russia, despite the country’s outlawing of “gay propaganda”.
A distributor called Arthouse, specialising in independent and foreign films, has taken on the British comedy, which premiered at last year’s Cannes film festival. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the film centres on LGBT support of the 1984 miners’ strike. The beginning and end of the narrative take place at the annual Pride parade in London; in June 2012, Moscow courts enacted a hundred-year ban on such gay pride parades.
Arthouse was founded in March this year by Sam Klebanov. His previous company Cinema Without Frontiers, which distributed lesbian romance film Blue Is the Warmest Colour, suffered financial collapse.
Homosexuality is legal in Russia, but difficulties faced by LGBT individuals and groups have increased in recent years. In 2013, Russian lawmakers banned “propaganda” that promotes “non-traditional sexual relations”, with scrutiny even extending to so-called “gay emojis”. In line with the law, Pride will carry an 18+ certificate.
**The film is a success
[‘Pride’ screened in theaters despite the country's anti-gay laws]
In a city where gay pride parades are banned and LGBT activists are routinely arrested for staging demonstrations, a movie about gay rights premiered without so much as a protest. Pride, the British comedy that was released internationally last year, made its Russian debut in Moscow last week. Based on the true story of gay activists who united to help a U.K. miners' union in 1984, the movie has since been screened in more than a dozen theaters across seven cities nationwide, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
Its release is notable considering the country's anti-gay law, which bans "propaganda" that promotes "non-traditional sexual relationships" to minors. The 2013 drama Blue is the Warmest Color was the last LGBT-themed movie released in Russia, the same year as president Vladimir Putin signed the anti-gay bill into law. The legislation came a year after Moscow courts decided to prohibit gay pride parades, a ruling that has drawn criticism from human rights organizations around the world. LGBT activists have risked arrest to host the Moscow Pride Parade every year for a decade.
"As the Western World is becoming more liberal about same-sex marriage, Russia is rolling back to the dark ages with its anti-gay propaganda law," Russian film distributor Yan Vizinberg told The Reporter. His company, Arthouse, rallied to release the film nationwide, despite being given a restrictive rating that prevents anyone under the age of 18 from seeing it.
Vizinberg and partner Sam Klebanov said local reactions to the film have been overwhelmingly positive, with the Moscow premiere earning a standing ovation.
Jennifer Swann is TakePart’s culture and lifestyle reporter.
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