Welcome to Chechnya

Welcome to Chechnya is a 2020 documentary film by American reporter, author and documentarian David France.[1] The film centres on the anti-gay purges in Chechnya of the late 2010s, filming LGBT Chechen refugees using hidden cameras as they made their way out of Russia through a network of safehouses aided by activists.[1]

Welcome to Chechnya
Official poster
Directed byDavid France
Produced byDavid France
Alice Henty
Askold Kurov
Joy A. Tomchin
Written by
  • David France
  • Tyler H. Walk
Music by
Cinematography
  • Askold Kurov
  • Derek Wiesehahn
Edited byTyler H. Walk
Production
company
Distributed byHBO Films
Release date
  • January 26, 2020 (2020-01-26) (Sundance)
  • June 30, 2020 (2020-06-30) (United States)
Running time
107 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Russian
Chechen

It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020 and was released on June 30, 2020, by HBO Films.

Production

The film follows the work of activists rescuing survivors of torture in Chechnya. To avoid exposing their work, it was shot in secret, using hidden cameras, cell phones, GoPros, and handycams.[2]

Further complicating the production of the film was the need to protect the identities of interviewees. Director France wanted to put a real human face on the story, so conventional techniques of disguising one's appearance, such as blurring their faces, filming them in darkness or hiring actors to stage re-enactments were not enough. Eventually he opted for advanced facial replacement techniques using artificial intelligence and novel visual effects technology, so the viewer could see real faces displaying real emotions, while still protecting the identities of the speakers.[3] The approach is a "game changer in identity protection," according to Documentary Magazine, and a brand new tool for documentary filmmakers.[4]

One of the refugees, Maxim Lapunov, is publicly identified in the film, as he sought, and failed, to get legal redress from Russian authorities.[5]

The mysterious disappearance of gay Chechen singer Zelim Bakaev after a visit to Grozny for his sister's wedding in August 2017[6] also receives a brief mention in the film.

Release

The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival,[7] and screened at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. It was released on June 30, 2020.[8]

It was shown at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2020.[9]

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 55 reviews, with an average rating of 8.7/10. The website's critics consensus reads: "An illuminating and urgent call to action, Welcome to Chechnya portrays the horrors of the mass persecution of the LGBTQ+ community in the Chechen Republic with tenacity and tenderness."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 86 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[11]

Accolades
Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Sundance Film Festival February 1, 2020 U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing Tyler H. Walk Won [12]
U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize David France Nominated
Berlin International Film Festival February 28, 2020 Teddy Activist Award David Isteev, Olga Baranova, Maxim Lapunov Won
March 1, 2020 Panorama Publikumspreis (audience award) for Best Documentary David France Won

References
  1. Mike Fleming, Jr. "HBO Documentary Films Lands Sundance-Bound ‘Welcome To Chechnya’, About Harsh Plight Of LGBTQ Community In Russian Republic". Deadline Hollywood, December 12, 2019.
  2. Patricia Thompson, "How Hidden Cameras Captured a Daring Rescue in 'Welcome to Chechnya'". Documentary Magazine, August 26, 2020.
  3. Anne Thompson, "Sundance 2020: How VFX Pulled ‘Welcome to Chechnya’ Out of the Shadows — Exclusive". IndieWire, January 22, 2020.
  4. Patricia Thompson, "Digital Disguise: 'Welcome to Chechnyas Face Veil Is a Game Changer in Identity Protection". Documentary Magazine, June 30, 2020.
  5. "Gay man takes Russia to Europe's rights court over Chechnya LGBT+ attacks". The Independent. 2019-05-24. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  6. O'Toole, Sean; discourse, ContributorWeb editor | Development media (2017-10-21). "New Reports of Gay Singer Abducted and Murdered in Chechnya". HuffPost. Retrieved 2020-12-20.
  7. Lawson, Richard (January 22, 2020). "The 18 Movies We're Dying to See at Sundance". Vanity Fair.
  8. Dry, Jude (May 20, 2020). "'Welcome to Chechnya' Trailer: David France's Groundbreaking LGBTQ Documentary". IndieWire. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  9. "Final days of Adelaide Film Festival serves up more winners". InDaily. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 25 October 2020.
  10. "Welcome to Chechnya (2020)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  11. "Welcome to Chechnya (2020)". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on February 29, 2020. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  12. Hipes, Patrick (February 1, 2020). "Sundance Film Festival Awards: 'Minari' Scores Double Top Honors – The Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 2, 2020.
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