(GayRusia.ru 18-2-2007)
The organizers of Moscow Gay Pride wanted an “objective chronicle” of the first-ever Pride in Moscow last year. Director Vladimir Ivanov duly fulfilled the task set.
Mockba Pride 06, Nikolai Alekseev, one of the Pride organizers, said last November that the film was an historic document for future generations. It then became part of the ‘evidence’ in a case now submitted to the European Court of Human Rights.
And then came the invitation to screen the film at the Berlin Film Festival.
Last night (February 16), after three sold-out public screenings, Mockba Pride 06 along with co-organiser Evgenia Debryanskaya and Mr. Alekseev was feted at the Teddy Awards, a ceremony for gay and lesbian films screened during the festival.
The fact that the documentary did not win an award was not the point.
“We are very happy that we were invited and took part in this prestigious film festival,” Mr. Alekseev told reporters after the awards.
“The warm welcome that we got today is higher than any awards.”
The first accolade came from the openly gay Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit who told the audience in a packed hall that Teddy Award ceremonies are not only to celebrate happiness but they also give an opportunity to raise the issue of violations of the rights of homosexual people in other countries.
“Courageous organisers of the pride from Moscow, risking their lives, conducted the event in Russian capital which was banned by city authorities,” Mayor Wowereit said as he introduced Mr. Alekseev and Ms. Debryanskaya.
Later, Volker Beck, a deputy in the German Bundestag, shared with the audience the difficulties which are faced by gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in Poland and Russia, before turning to Iran and his recent trip in a parliamentary delegation.
On a big screen, images of the attack on Volker Beck during gay pride in Moscow were shown as the MP spoke about his trip to Moscow in May last year. Again, Mr. Alekseev and Ms. Debryanskaya rose to acknowledge the applause.
Mr. Beck concluded by suggesting that everyone should show their solidarity with Russian gays and book their tickets to Moscow for May this year to take part in the celebrations of the second Pride on May 27.
“We reached the main thing – we attracted huge attention of the international community to the breaches of the rights of homosexual people in Russia,” Mr. Alekseev told reporters.
“From the artistic point of view, there were many interesting films here, which were being shot for several years. That is why today’s results are legitimate.
“We could not even dream that [Mockba Pride 06] would be shown in full cinemas in one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.”
The ‘Teddy’ for the best gay feature movie was awarded to movie Ci-Qing (Taiwan), about lesbian relations. The best documentary award was given to Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory (USA). The third ‘Teddy’ went to Helmut Berger for his lifetime input into gay cinema.
Mockba Pride 06, Nikolai Alekseev, one of the Pride organizers, said last November that the film was an historic document for future generations. It then became part of the ‘evidence’ in a case now submitted to the European Court of Human Rights.
And then came the invitation to screen the film at the Berlin Film Festival.
Last night (February 16), after three sold-out public screenings, Mockba Pride 06 along with co-organiser Evgenia Debryanskaya and Mr. Alekseev was feted at the Teddy Awards, a ceremony for gay and lesbian films screened during the festival.
The fact that the documentary did not win an award was not the point.
“We are very happy that we were invited and took part in this prestigious film festival,” Mr. Alekseev told reporters after the awards.
“The warm welcome that we got today is higher than any awards.”
The first accolade came from the openly gay Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit who told the audience in a packed hall that Teddy Award ceremonies are not only to celebrate happiness but they also give an opportunity to raise the issue of violations of the rights of homosexual people in other countries.
“Courageous organisers of the pride from Moscow, risking their lives, conducted the event in Russian capital which was banned by city authorities,” Mayor Wowereit said as he introduced Mr. Alekseev and Ms. Debryanskaya.
Later, Volker Beck, a deputy in the German Bundestag, shared with the audience the difficulties which are faced by gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people in Poland and Russia, before turning to Iran and his recent trip in a parliamentary delegation.
On a big screen, images of the attack on Volker Beck during gay pride in Moscow were shown as the MP spoke about his trip to Moscow in May last year. Again, Mr. Alekseev and Ms. Debryanskaya rose to acknowledge the applause.
Mr. Beck concluded by suggesting that everyone should show their solidarity with Russian gays and book their tickets to Moscow for May this year to take part in the celebrations of the second Pride on May 27.
“We reached the main thing – we attracted huge attention of the international community to the breaches of the rights of homosexual people in Russia,” Mr. Alekseev told reporters.
“From the artistic point of view, there were many interesting films here, which were being shot for several years. That is why today’s results are legitimate.
“We could not even dream that [Mockba Pride 06] would be shown in full cinemas in one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world.”
The ‘Teddy’ for the best gay feature movie was awarded to movie Ci-Qing (Taiwan), about lesbian relations. The best documentary award was given to Walk Into the Sea: Danny Williams and the Warhol Factory (USA). The third ‘Teddy’ went to Helmut Berger for his lifetime input into gay cinema.
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