Being gay in Russia comes with a set of harsh realities. But for one man, all it took was a handsome Italian stranger to summon the fight for love and acceptance.
It’s been a crazy year to be an American. In many ways, it seems like we took a big cultural step backward and we’ve been clawing to hang onto the rights we’ve acquired.
“Do You Take This Man”, a selection from QReel we looked at last week, featured Anthony Rapp of “Rent” and “Star Trek: Discovery” where his biggest headache was last minute drama surrounding his upcoming wedding to Jonathon Bennet.
Today, “Dreams From Strangers” takes us a much different part of the world, Russia, where angst over a gay wedding would be a welcome respite from the struggle to survive every day.
In “Dreams From Strangers”, director Roberto Cuzzillo tells the story of Massimo (Giuseppe Claudio Insalaco), a young Italian man who travels to Russia to compete in an international swim meet. There he meets Russian translator Vladimir (Daniel de Rossi). The two quickly develop deep feelings for each other and fall in love.
Their relationship is tested as they are forced to face cultural differences and stereotypes as well as Russia’s new anti-gay laws.
When they get physically attacked by a group of men, they must ask themselves if their feelings for each other are strong enough to overcome all these obstacles or if they are simply bound to lead separate lives.
[Watch “Dreams From Strangers” at Qreel.com]
From award-winning features to captivating documentaries and progressive short films, Qreel provides a vast and constantly expanding library of queer cinema with new additions every week.