Pride to be released in Russia despite gay propaganda laws

Hit British film Pride (2014) will be released in Russia, despite the country’s outlawing of “gay propaganda”.

A distributor called Arthouse, specialising in independent and foreign films, has taken on the British comedy, which premiered at last year’s Cannes film festival. Directed by Matthew Warchus, the film centres on LGBT support of the 1984 miners’ strike. The beginning and end of the narrative take place at the annual Pride parade in London; in June 2012, Moscow courts enacted a hundred-year ban on such gay pride parades.

Arthouse was founded in March this year by Sam Klebanov. His previous company Cinema Without Frontiers, which distributed lesbian romance film Blue Is the Warmest Colour, suffered financial collapse.

Homosexuality is legal in Russia, but difficulties faced by LGBT individuals and groups have increased in recent years. In 2013, Russian lawmakers banned “propaganda” that promotes “non-traditional sexual relations”, with scrutiny even extending to so-called “gay emojis”. In line with the law, Pride will carry an 18+ certificate.