As a gay immigrant directly and personally affected by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, with this project, I attempted to capture the drama of interpersonal tensions and shared challenges of the LGBTQ immigrant community.
To write this story, I talked to dozens of people like myself and learned about their experiences. A software developer from Moscow who must hide his partner for nearly a decade in their studio apartment’s bathroom whenever he video calls his family back in his hometown in Siberia. A ballet dancer who toured with his ballet troupe for years before seeking asylum in the United States so he could stop hiding his identity. A couple who lived in Kyiv and traveled to Denmark to marry as a way of recognizing their love and commitment to each other. Living in Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan, many interviewed people had experienced homophobia and stigmatization and had to stay closeted because of cultural traditions and beliefs. The main character of “Brother,” Tony, takes inspiration from these stories.
The grandiose lie surrounding life in post-Soviet countries today, more than ever, requires discussing taboo topics. We hope that “Brother” can help to begin that change for LGBTQ+ individuals who have left Eastern Europe and those who remain in their home countries. The film utilizes the setting of a gay wedding to reflect the frustration and self-restraint typical throughout the community. It also serves as a healing narrative suggesting the ways of mutual support and emotional growth.
The film was produced in Chicago by a local team that comprises members of underrepresented groups – women, BIPOC, queer – both in front and behind the camera.