Forbidden people
A new documentary by Nikita Loyk about the lives of Russian-speaking transgender individuals who emigrated to the Netherlands will be released in September 2024.
The film unveils the depth of tragedy faced by transgender individuals, showing how homophobia and cancel culture are devastating their lives, leading to irreversible consequences. This is a truthful and emotional portrayal of those who have become invisible and rejected, even in the most tolerant societies, and of the high price they pay for the right to be themselves in a world that cruelly rejects them.
On November 24, 2022, the Russian State Duma passed a package of bills in the third reading banning the "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations."
On July 24, 2023, a law was passed in Russia banning transgender transition. The law also prohibits those who have undergone a transgender transition from marrying, adopting children, or becoming guardians.
On November 30, 2023, the Russian Supreme Court declared the "LGBT movement" an extremist organization and banned its activities in the country.
Camiel Welling, Medical Doctor specializing as Sexologist who provides healthcare and hormone support for trans refugees in Amsterdam: "These people are incredibly, catastrophically vulnerable. All these attempts to play another personality, to portray normalcy, always eat you up from the inside. They are used to facing sharp condemnation, sometimes even violence, in healthcare settings. A doctor could label them with a psychiatric diagnosis, ruining their lives. That's why it's so important for us to create an environment where transgender people feel safe."
“Forbidden people” - is a large-scale documentary that tells the story of transgender individuals who were forced to leave their homeland due to homophobia, discrimination, and threats, and who are now learning to live (and sometimes survive) in a new country.
Each of these individuals’ stories is a real tragedy, especially because transgender people in many Russian-speaking countries have become an entirely marginalized and disenfranchised group.
According to various estimates, LGBTQ individuals make up 5 to 10% of any society. This means that in Russia alone, there are between 7 to 15 million queer individuals.
As a result of the state's homophobic policies, the number of crimes against LGBT people in Russia increased by one and a half times in 2023, and the number of murders doubled (“"Importants stories" media”).
In 2023, reports emerged of a wave of suicides among Russian-speaking refugees in the Netherlands. In mid-January, a transgender woman from Russia, Antonina Babkina, who had been granted asylum, took her own life (“Kholod media”).
Nikita Loyk, the film’s director: "All of these stories are fantastic, incredible. It doesn't surprise me because the life of transgender people, especially from post-Soviet countries, is incredibly difficult, and they have very tough destinies.
We absolutely must fight against such levels of ignorance and madness. Trans people remain invisible even to tolerant people and even to the LGBT community, which is completely unacceptable”.
The goal of the documentary is not only to give a voice to this part of the LGBT community but also to dispel the myths that propaganda from countries with homophobic laws spreads to the world. Famous narratives about "forced gender change for children," about how easy it is to get therapy or undergo surgery in Europe, are debunked by the experts featured in the film.
Valentijn De Hingh, a Dutch transgender model and the main character of the reality show "Valentijn," is also participating in the filming. A well-known figure in the Netherlands, her story was followed by the entire country.
Kira (film character): "How could someone impose, want, or invent such a difficult path for themselves? It's much easier to be an ordinary person, live your life, and enjoy it. Not to think about surgeries, painful therapy, about how others will accept you. But we are not like that. We are forced to change ourselves. And change the world around us."
"Forbidden People” is the third significant collaboration between director Nikita Loyk and MediaLoft. The first documentary, "Beyond the Rainbow," about the lives of LGBT refugees in Europe, was filmed in early 2022. The second film, "Uncurable me," dedicated to the tragic experience of conversion therapy, was released in 2023.
The film "Forbidden people" was made with the support of the volunteer non-profit organization "LGBT World Beside" (Netherlands).