Video: new documentary takes the viewer to the heart of the struggle for LGBT rights in Belarus

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By Logan Mucha

Often called the last dictatorship in Europe, Belarus is a country where being openly gay leads to beatings and arrests.

East Bloc Love is Australian filmmaker Logan Mucha’s debut feature documentary following the journey of the young Belarusian activist, Sergey Yenin, as he and other activists prepare for a defiant march on the streets of the capital Minsk.

“As a gay male from a Australia, I was inspired by the strength and courage of these activists in the face of their government’s ban on the pride march and the looming violence from homophobic skinheads” says Logan Mucha.

The young director was able to document the personal stories of individuals from countries in Latvia, Romania, Poland, Estonia, Russia and Belarus.  These characters range from activists, a drag queen, a pre-op transsexual and a rock musician, giving the viewer a broad view on the state of LGBT rights in the former Soviet bloc.

East Bloc Love is a co-production with the human rights project, GayRussia and its founder Nikolai Alekseev. The International Day Against Homophobia has also contributed financial support to the film.

The film is currently in consideration for a number of international film festivals and is available for review upon request.

Trailer

Related articles

• LGBT Activists Hold First Authorized Rally in Minsk (towleroad.com)
• Nikolai Alekseev says courage is the key (via Queer Landia) (queerdallas.com)