Veselchaki

The film "Veselchaki," produced in 2009 and directed by Feliks Mikhailov, was one of the first to focus specifically on sexual minorities in Russia. Following five men who perform in drag across the country, the film depicts their journey and backgrounds in terms that expose the struggle that drag artists and the LGBT community face. The film is comedic, and through humor it can successfully reach a broader audience while maintaining the delivery of the message it intends.

SPOILER ALERT:
Although it is a comedy, a tragic ending is what really drills the struggle of the LGBT population into our heads. The men are faced with the violence of homophobic thugs, and ultimately perish by their hands. The destructive homophobic tendencies of society were exposed through this film by eliminating characters that we grew attached to, and subsequently raised awareness of the situation.

Since it was produced before the 2013 law on LGBT propaganda, the film was able to enjoy some popularity. Although its release was delayed somewhat due to fears that it would be received poorly, it was eventually praised and taken seriously by the press. We can only imagine the suppression it would have received had it been released after the law was passed, but luckily this was not the case.