Welcome to Chechnya

{{short description|2020 documentary about the anti-LGBT purges in Chechnya}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Welcome to Chechnya

| image = Welcome to Chechnya.jpeg

| caption = Official poster

| director = David France

| producer = David France
Alice Henty
Askold Kurov
Joy A. Tomchin

| writer = {{Plainlist|

David France
Tyler H. Walk

}}

| starring =

| music = {{Plainlist|

}}

| cinematography = {{Plainlist|

Askold Kurov
Derek Wiesehahn

}}

| editing = Tyler H. Walk

| studio = {{Plainlist|

Public Square Films
HBO Documentary Films
Ninety Thousand Words
Maylo Films
BBC Storyville

}}

| distributor = HBO Films

| released = {{film date|2020|01|26|Sundance|2020|6|30|United States}}

| runtime = 107 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English
Russian
Chechen

| budget =

}}

Welcome to Chechnya ({{Langx|ru|Добро пожаловать в Чечню|translit=Dobro pozhalovat' v Chechnyu}}) is a 2020 documentary film by American reporter, author and documentarian David France.Mike Fleming, Jr. [https://deadline.com/2019/12/welcome-to-chechnya-hbo-documentary-films-sundance-lgbtq-russia-1202808124/ "HBO Documentary Films Lands Sundance-Bound ‘Welcome To Chechnya’, About Harsh Plight Of LGBTQ Community In Russian Republic"]. Deadline Hollywood, December 12, 2019. The film centers 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.

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.Patricia Thompson, [https://www.documentary.org/column/how-hidden-cameras-captured-daring-rescue-welcome-chechnya/ "How Hidden Cameras Captured a Daring Rescue in 'Welcome to Chechnya{{'"}}]. Documentary Magazine, August 26, 2020.

Further complicating the production of the film was the need to protect the identities of interviewees. 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.Anne Thompson, [https://www.indiewire.com/video/sundance-2020-vfx-hbo-welcome-to-chechnya-documentary-david-france-1202204703/ "Sundance 2020: How VFX Pulled 'Welcome to Chechnya' Out of the Shadows – Exclusive"]. IndieWire, January 22, 2020. The approach is a "game changer in identity protection", according to Documentary Magazine, and a brand new tool for documentary filmmakers.Patricia Thompson, [https://www.documentary.org/column/digital-disguise-welcome-chechnyas-face-veil-game-changer-identity-protection/ "Digital Disguise: 'Welcome to Chechnya'{{'s}} Face Veil Is a Game Changer in Identity Protection"]. Documentary Magazine, June 30, 2020. To protect the identities of the interviewees, they could not move the footage across the internet nor work on it in an open studio setting. Instead, they edited the film in a windowless room in order to keep with security protocols.Steinmetz, K., [https://time.com/5858874/welcome-to-chechnya-david-france-lgbtq-torture/ {{"'}}It Only Ends When They're Dead.' David France on His Chilling HBO Documentary Welcome to Chechnya"]. Time, June 30, 2020

One of the refugees, Maxim Lapunov, is publicly identified in the film, as he sought, and failed, to get legal redress from Russian authorities.{{Cite web|date=2019-05-24|title=Gay man takes Russia to Europe's rights court over Chechnya LGBT+ attacks|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/chechnya-gay-torture-rights-russia-lgbt-court-maxim-lapunov-a8929826.html|access-date=2020-12-20|website=The Independent|language=en}}

The mysterious disappearance of gay Chechen singer Zelim Bakaev after a visit to Grozny for his sister's wedding in August 2017{{Cite web|last1=O'Toole|first1=Sean|date=2017-10-21|title=New Reports of Gay Singer Abducted and Murdered in Chechnya|url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/new-reports-of-gay-singer-abducted-and-murdered-in_b_59ebcf0ce4b034105edd4f3e|access-date=2020-12-20|website=HuffPost|language=en}} also receives a brief mention in the film.

Release

The film premiered at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival,{{cite web|first=Richard|last=Lawson|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/01/sundance-film-festival-2020-preview|title=The 18 Movies We're Dying to See at Sundance|website=Vanity Fair|date=January 22, 2020}} and screened at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival. It was released on June 30, 2020 by HBO Films.{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/05/welcome-to-chechnya-trailer-hbo-lgbtq-documentary-1202232520/|title='Welcome to Chechnya' Trailer: David France's Groundbreaking LGBTQ Documentary|website=IndieWire|first=Jude|last=Dry|date=May 20, 2020|access-date=May 25, 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://time.com/5858874/welcome-to-chechnya-david-france-lgbtq-torture/|title='It Only Ends When They're Dead.' David France on His Chilling HBO Documentary Welcome to Chechnya by Katy Steinmetz|date=30 June 2020 |access-date=18 March 2021}}

It was shown at the Adelaide Film Festival in October 2020.{{cite web | title=Final days of Adelaide Film Festival serves up more winners | website=InDaily | date=20 October 2020 | url=https://indaily.com.au/news/sponsored-content/2020/10/21/final-days-of-adelaide-film-festival-serves-up-more-winners/ | access-date=25 October 2020}}

Reception

The film received universal critical acclaim, holding List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes on Rotten Tomatoes based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. 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."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/welcome_to_chechnya|title=Welcome to Chechnya (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200210183437/https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/welcome_to_chechnya|archive-date=February 10, 2020|url-status=live}} Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 86 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/welcome-to-chechnya |title=Welcome to Chechnya (2020) |website=Metacritic |publisher=CBS Interactive |access-date= July 30, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200229105429/https://www.metacritic.com/movie/welcome-to-chechnya |archive-date=February 29, 2020 |url-status=live }}

=Accolades=

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
scope="col" \| Award ! scope="col" \| Date of ceremony ! scope="col" \| Category ! scope="col" \| Recipient(s) ! scope="col" \| Result ! scope="col" class="unsortable"\| {{Abbr\|Ref.\|References}}
rowspan="2"\| Sundance Film Festival \| rowspan="2"\| February 1, 2020 \| U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing \| Tyler H. Walk \| {{won}} \| rowspan="2" align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://deadline.com/2020/02/sundance-film-festival-awards-2020-winners-1202848900/\|title=Sundance Film Festival Awards: 'Minari' Scores Double Top Honors – The Complete Winners List\|last=Hipes\|first=Patrick\|work=Deadline Hollywood\|date=February 1, 2020\|access-date=February 2, 2020}}
U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize \| David France \| {{nom}}
rowspan="2"\| Berlin International Film Festival \| February 28, 2020 \| Teddy Activist Award \| David Isteev, Olga Baranova, Maxim Lapunov \| {{won}} \| rowspan="2" align="center"\|
March 1, 2020 \| Panorama Publikumspreis (audience award) for Best Documentary \| David France \| {{won}}
Ljubljana LGBT Film Festival \| December 20, 2020 \| Pink Dragon Audience Award \| rowspan="2"\| Welcome to Chechnya \| {{won}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|title=Zmagovalec občinstva na 36. festivalu LGBT filma \|url=https://www.lgbtfilmfest.si/vsebine/84/zmagovalec-obcinstva-na-36-festivalu-lgbt-filma \|website=Festival LGBT filma \|publisher=Društvo ŠKUC \|access-date=21 February 2021}}
GLAAD Media Awards \| April 8, 2021 \| Outstanding Documentary \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|last1=Ramos \|first1=Dino-Ray \|title=GLAAD Unveils Nominees For 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards; Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast Honored With Special Recognition Award \|url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/glaad-media-awards-32nd-annual-deadlines-new-hollywood-podcast-representation-inclusion-diversity-lgtbq-1234681899/ \|website=Deadline Hollywood \|access-date=February 25, 2021 \|date=January 28, 2021}}
Visual Effects Society Awards \| April 6, 2021 \| Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature \| Ryan Laney, Eugen Bräunig, Maxwell Anderson, Johnny Han and Piers Dennis \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/ves-awards-nominations-2021-visual-effects-society-mandalorian-tenet-soul-1234704513/\|title=VES Awards Nominations: 'Tenet', 'Midnight Sky', 'Extraction', 'Soul' & 'Mandalorian' Among Titles In Visual Effects Hunt\|work=Deadline\|first=Erik\|last=Pederson\|date=March 2, 2021\|access-date=March 2, 2021}}
Directors Guild of America Awards \| April 10, 2021 \| Outstanding Directional Achievement in Documentary \| David France \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web\|title=DGA Awards 2021\|url=https://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2021/2100308-73rd-Annual-DGA-Awards-Television-Nominees-Announced.aspx\|publisher=DGA\|access-date=March 9, 2021}}
British Academy Television Awards \| June 6, 2021 \| Best International Programme \| David France, Alice Henty, Askold Kurov and Joy A Tomchin \| {{won}} \| align="center"\| {{Cite web\|date=2021-04-28\|title=BAFTA TV 2021: The Winners and Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards\|url=https://www.bafta.org/television/awards/tv-2021\|access-date=2021-06-07\|website=www.bafta.org\|language=en}}
Hollywood Critics Association \| August 29, 2021 \| Best Broadcast Network or Cable Docuseries, Documentary Television Movie, or Non-Fiction Series \| Welcome to Chechnya \| {{won}} \| align="center"\| {{Cite web\|title=Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations – Hollywood Critics Association\|url=https://hollywoodcriticsassociation.com/ted-lasso-the-handmaids-tale-and-zoeys-extraordinary-playlist-lead-inaugural-hca-tv-awards-nominations/\|access-date=July 11, 2021\|language=en-US}}
Primetime Emmy Awards \| September 18, 2021 \| Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking \| Alice Henty, David France, Joy A. Tomchin, Askold Kurov and Igor Myakotin \| {{nom}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/welcome-chechnya \|title=Welcome to Chechnya \|website=Emmys.com \|publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences \|access-date=July 13, 2021}}
Cinema for Peace awards \|February 24, 2023 \|The Most Valuable Documentary of the Year \|Welcome to Chechnya \|{{Won}} \|

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

scope="col" | Award

! scope="col" | Date of ceremony

! scope="col" | Category

! scope="col" | Recipient(s)

! scope="col" | Result

! scope="col" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|References}}

rowspan="2"| Sundance Film Festival

| rowspan="2"| February 1, 2020

| U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award for Editing

| Tyler H. Walk

| {{won}}

| rowspan="2" align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/02/sundance-film-festival-awards-2020-winners-1202848900/|title=Sundance Film Festival Awards: 'Minari' Scores Double Top Honors – The Complete Winners List|last=Hipes|first=Patrick|work=Deadline Hollywood|date=February 1, 2020|access-date=February 2, 2020}}

U.S. Documentary Competition Grand Jury Prize

| David France

| {{nom}}

rowspan="2"| Berlin International Film Festival

| February 28, 2020

| Teddy Activist Award

| David Isteev, Olga Baranova, Maxim Lapunov

| {{won}}

| rowspan="2" align="center"|

March 1, 2020

| Panorama Publikumspreis (audience award) for Best Documentary

| David France

| {{won}}

Ljubljana LGBT Film Festival

| December 20, 2020

| Pink Dragon Audience Award

| rowspan="2"| Welcome to Chechnya

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |title=Zmagovalec občinstva na 36. festivalu LGBT filma |url=https://www.lgbtfilmfest.si/vsebine/84/zmagovalec-obcinstva-na-36-festivalu-lgbt-filma |website=Festival LGBT filma |publisher=Društvo ŠKUC |access-date=21 February 2021}}

GLAAD Media Awards

| April 8, 2021

| Outstanding Documentary

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |last1=Ramos |first1=Dino-Ray |title=GLAAD Unveils Nominees For 32nd Annual GLAAD Media Awards; Deadline's New Hollywood Podcast Honored With Special Recognition Award |url=https://deadline.com/2021/01/glaad-media-awards-32nd-annual-deadlines-new-hollywood-podcast-representation-inclusion-diversity-lgtbq-1234681899/ |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=February 25, 2021 |date=January 28, 2021}}

Visual Effects Society Awards

| April 6, 2021

| Outstanding Supporting Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature

| Ryan Laney, Eugen Bräunig, Maxwell Anderson, Johnny Han and Piers Dennis

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/ves-awards-nominations-2021-visual-effects-society-mandalorian-tenet-soul-1234704513/|title=VES Awards Nominations: 'Tenet', 'Midnight Sky', 'Extraction', 'Soul' & 'Mandalorian' Among Titles In Visual Effects Hunt|work=Deadline|first=Erik|last=Pederson|date=March 2, 2021|access-date=March 2, 2021}}

Directors Guild of America Awards

| April 10, 2021

| Outstanding Directional Achievement in Documentary

| David France

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web|title=DGA Awards 2021|url=https://www.dga.org/News/PressReleases/2021/2100308-73rd-Annual-DGA-Awards-Television-Nominees-Announced.aspx|publisher=DGA|access-date=March 9, 2021}}

British Academy Television Awards

| June 6, 2021

| Best International Programme

| David France, Alice Henty, Askold Kurov and Joy A Tomchin

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{Cite web|date=2021-04-28|title=BAFTA TV 2021: The Winners and Nominations for the Virgin Media British Academy Television Awards and British Academy Television Craft Awards|url=https://www.bafta.org/television/awards/tv-2021|access-date=2021-06-07|website=www.bafta.org|language=en}}

Hollywood Critics Association

| August 29, 2021

| Best Broadcast Network or Cable Docuseries, Documentary Television Movie, or Non-Fiction Series

| Welcome to Chechnya

| {{won}}

| align="center"| {{Cite web|title=Ted Lasso, The Handmaid's Tale, and Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist lead Inaugural HCA TV Awards Nominations – Hollywood Critics Association|url=https://hollywoodcriticsassociation.com/ted-lasso-the-handmaids-tale-and-zoeys-extraordinary-playlist-lead-inaugural-hca-tv-awards-nominations/|access-date=July 11, 2021|language=en-US}}

Primetime Emmy Awards

| September 18, 2021

| Exceptional Merit in Documentary Filmmaking

| Alice Henty, David France, Joy A. Tomchin, Askold Kurov and Igor Myakotin

| {{nom}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://www.emmys.com/shows/welcome-chechnya |title=Welcome to Chechnya |website=Emmys.com |publisher=Academy of Television Arts & Sciences |access-date=July 13, 2021}}

Cinema for Peace awards

|February 24, 2023

|The Most Valuable Documentary of the Year

|Welcome to Chechnya

|{{Won}}

References

External links

[https://www.welcometochechnya.com/ Official website]
[https://www.hbo.com/documentaries/welcome-to-chechnya Welcome to Chechnya] at HBO
{{IMDb title|11394200}}

{{British Academy Television Award for Best International Programme}}

Category:2020 documentary films

Category:2020 films

Category:2020 LGBTQ-related films

Category:Chechen-language films

Category:Documentary films about violence against LGBTQ people

Category:2020s English-language films

Category:HBO documentary films

Category:2020s Russian-language films

Category:2020 multilingual films

Category:American multilingual films

Category:2020s American films