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Galdanova, Agniia

Agniia Galdanova is an award-winning documentary film director and writer born in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in 1987[3]. She is known for her immersive storytelling and deep exploration of complex human relationships through observational language[1][2].

Galdanova studied journalism in Moscow and obtained a degree in film directing from Berlin in 2012[3]. Her career in documentary filmmaking began after meeting mentor Marina Razbezhkina at the DokLeipzig Festival in 2016, which inspired her to enroll in the Documentary Film School of Marina Razbezhkina and Michail Ugarov in Moscow[6].

Notable Works

One Step Forward, One Step Back (2020): Her first documentary film, which premiered at the Message to Man International Film Festival, focuses on a family’s dream to live far from civilization in the Altai Mountains[1][6].

Queendom (2023): Galdanova’s latest and most acclaimed work, which premiered in the Documentary Competition at SXSW 2023 and received the NEXT:WAVE Grad Jury award at CPH:DOX[2]. The film centers on Gena Marvin, a young queer artist from Russia, and explores themes of LGBTQ+ activism, family relationships, and societal pressures in Russia[4][5].

Filmmaking Approach

Galdanova is known for her observational approach and her ability to capture intimate moments in challenging circumstances. During the filming of Queendom, she took creative precautions to avoid arrest, such as putting her cinematographer on roller skates to escape police during protests[4].

Her work often focuses on complex human relationships and societal issues, particularly those related to LGBTQ+ rights and activism in Russia[1][4][5]. Galdanova’s films have been supported by prestigious organizations such as Sundance and IDFA[1][6].

Citations: [1] https://docsbarcelona.com/en/profiles/agniia-galdanova [2] https://www.blendbarcelona.com/agniia-galdanova/ [3] https://www.luxfilmfest.lu/en/guests/agniia-galdanova/ [4] https://www.screendaily.com/features/why-queendom-director-agniia-galdanova-put-her-cinematographer-on-roller-skates/5186011.article [5] https://filmhounds.co.uk/2023/12/i-had-no-choice-but-to-follow-and-protect-director-agniia-galdanova-talks-queendom/ [6] https://www.documentary.org/blog/member-spotlight-agniia-galdanova-and-igor-myakotin [7] https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8005406/ [8] https://www.instagram.com/agni__ia/

An incident Karetny Ryad 2019

On the night of June 27-28, 2019, two young men attacked and beat the young director for refusing sex. The men who attacked Agniia Galdanova were arrested by the police. They were caught in St. Petersburg [2, 3]. The incident caused widespread discussion in official media and social networks.

Сonspectus

Year	Event, city
2015	dOP, Berlin
2019	Razbezhkina, Moscow

(Additional images correspondent to the article)

Agniia Galdanova in 2018 wearing the coat by Turbo Yulia

Photo: Masha Lapina / Indexmod

Filmography