Gena Marvin - Queendom

With a painted white face and head, wearing an all-white ensemble save for long black gloves and gigantic black platform stiletto boots, Gena Marvin teeters as she balances on snow-covered rocks. She poses for a photograph, the sea rippling gently in the background behind her contorted figure, frozen still in the arctic chill.

It’s a striking scene that opens the new documentary “Queendom,” which follows the queer Russian performance artist as she creates artwork that challenges societal expectations and political situations — and the backlash she faces for it.

The performances, and Marvin’s very existence as a queer person, are not without their risks, including physical violence, threats and homophobic abuse. one performance sees Marvin tape the colours of the Russian flag around her body and walk as part of an anti-police protest calling for the freedom of Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny. The action ultimately results in Gena’s expulsion from college in Moscow for “expressing a negative view towards the government”.

Throughout the film, Marvin experiences this hate and intolerance, whether it’s being beaten or abused while in public, or chastised by her grandparents for not following a traditional job or career path. Their relationship is often a fraught one that Galdanova felt essential to highlight in the film.

As “Queendom” was filming in April 2021, Russia invaded Ukraine. Scenes from the film show Marvin taking part in anti-war protests, being arrested, and then summoned to court for evading the military draft. This marked a turning point for her. “I realized the heaviness of the situation. I didn’t want to be in jail, or participate in this war and kill other people. That was not an option,” said Marvin, who cut contact with her grandparents during this time for their safety. In April 2022, Marvin moved to Paris. She has since been granted asylum and has built a life and community there, having walked in the recent Paris Fashion Week for Chinese label Windowsen.