Guest host Michael Urwin talks to director Agniia Galdanova about Queendom, in cinemas now. 

Gena, a queer artist from a small town in Russia, dresses in otherworldly costumes made from junk and tape, and protests the government on the streets of Moscow.

Born and raised on the harsh streets of Magadan, a frigid outpost of the Soviet gulag, Gena is only 21.

She stages radical performances in public that become a new form of art and activism.

By doing that, she wants to change people’s perception of beauty and queerness and bring attention to the harassment of the LGBTQ+ community.

The performances - often dark, strange, evocative, and queer at their core - are a manifestation of Gena’s subconscious. But they come at a price.

If you'd like to send us a voice memo for use in a future episode, please email podcast@picturehouses.co.uk.

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts. Follow us on Spotify.

Find us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram with @picturehouses. Find our latest cinema listings at picturehouses.com. 

Produced by Stripped Media. Proudly supported by Kia.

Thank you for listening. If you enjoy the show, please subscribe, rate, review and share with your friends. Vive le Cinema.