Review of Welcome to Chechnya (2020) by Theraggedflygon — 02 Jul 2020

Welcome to Chechnya is a harrowing documentary concerning a network of LGBTQ+ activists who make it their mission to help queer refugees from the Russian republic of Chechnya escape the grasps of a regime hell bent on cleansing individuals who do not identify as heterosexual from the Chechen population. The film utilizes CGI distortion to alter the appearance of many of the refugees out of the interest for their safety as many of them continue to be hunted by authorities. As one may expect the messages of this film are extremely inspiring and brave, but at the same time, the content of the film is equally gruesome and terrifying. Rather than focus on the actions taken by the Chechen government, as well as the Russian Federal Government under Vladimir Putin, the film instead focuses on the individual stories of refugees and those who aid them throughout their journey, resulting in a much more personal feel. Rather than feeling like an elongated news story, Welcome to Chechnya instead feels like a series of personal narratives. This complements the gruesome nature of the content of this documentary as you see the victims tell their stories with them facing the camera rather than a filmmaker simply commentating over news footage.

All in all, Welcome to Chechnya is an extremely powerful film that serves as a stern reminder how far some regions of the world still have to come with regards to LGBTQ+ rights and in addition how the world as a whole needs to be more supportive of the assistance of these refugees who are running for their lives.