Serdyuchka — real name Andrei Danilko — wrote the music, including a show-stopping song Casta Diva, performed by a drag queen in a crystal crown and silver sequined bikini.
The director is not gay himself and played down the gay aspect of the film. The “human element, the people’s stories” are more interesting than the characters’ orientation, he said.
The film wasn’t planned as a gay event, he said. “If they see it like that, it’s good that it happened,” he said. “We didn’t put any of that ideology into it at the start.”
Perhaps more surprisingly, he does not support the idea of a gay pride parade in Moscow. Mayor Luzhkov has said that society is not ready for the parade and has sent riot police to detain participants at unsanctioned protests.
“I think we don’t need it. Not because it’s good or bad. In our culture we don’t have the concept of a mass festival,” he said. “I think even if it was permitted, it would look pathetic and cheap.”
The parade organizer, Nikolai Alexeyev, said on Monday of last week that he has not seen the film yet, but supports the idea of using mainstream stars to influence the public.
Last week, he organized a press conference where a pop star known for her raunchy stage act, Lolita Milyavskaya, spoke out against living in the closet and revealed that her uncle hid his sexual orientation.
A key figure in Moscow’s gay community, Ed Mishin, who publishes a magazine called Kvir, or Queer, said he “really enjoyed” the film Jolly Fellows and believes it will have an effect — however small — on public opinion.
“When a good, fun film comes out, when it’s done with humor — and this is a kind, good film — it changes people, even just a little drop,” he said.
RSS