Countering silence – LGBTQ+ resistance in film

Drawing on historical and theoretical understandings of socio-political control, queer cinema, and molchaniye (the Russian concept of remaining silent), we explain our research that explores three pathways for queer filmmaking to help transform and mitigate the harms of silence. By foregrounding silence as a form of structural violence against queer people, this speculative study reveals how queer voices persist, mobilising film as a counter-archive to state erasure.

This event will be particularly useful to students of and researchers in LGBTQ+/queer studies, intersectional politics and international development, and those interested in (government-sponsored) LGBTQ+ oppression (in Russia) and counteracting activism/strategies/movements/techniques in film.

Resistance to Oppression

This is the last event part of a multi-part series on theme of ‘Resistance to Oppression’ at UCL Institute of Education. The series has focussed on fostering open and collaborative academic scholarship on oppression of gender identity or sexuality for public engagement and education as well as for developing research activity on LGBTQ+ oppression. The first event was the Trans-inclusivity Round Table Discussion (12 May 2026) which was a clear continuation from the Trans-inclusivity Seminar Series from 2024, especially the Chair’s [Dr Natacha Kennedy] seminar event on ‘Deconstructing Transphobia’.

This final event follows a closed-group discussion and network-building event of invited LGBTQ+ researchers pursuant, specialised, interested or invested in the theme of ‘Resistance to Oppression’.

Image

Raphael Renter via Unsplash.