David France’s tremendously bleak film about the persecution of LGBT people in Chechnya, is both a testament to human kindness and a grim portrait of suffering
Last month would have been a time of Pride marches and parties, of special-edition rainbow trainers and glittery face paint. But, as the saying goes, the first Pride was a riot, and many would argue that the widespread Black Lives Matter protests and queer community activism have made this the most authentic one in years. I implore you to watch Welcome to Chechnya: The Gay Purge (BBC Four) as a belated addition to that. David France has made a difficult, distressing and often tremendously bleak film about the torture and murder of LGBT people in Chechnya, and the brave efforts of community activists and organisers to “extract” them from the region.
France is responsible for two other queer-themed documentaries. How to Survive a Plague told the story of Act Up’s determined campaign to make drugs available to people with Aids, while The Death and Life of Marsha P Johnson saw him loosely investigate the circumstances around the death of the pioneering activist. Like its predecessors, Welcome to Chechnya is necessarily grim and harrowing, but it is also hopeful, if you view it as a testament to human kindness, ingenuity and courage.
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