Aptly titled “To Russia With Love” and directed by Noam Gonick, a documentary about LGBT athletes was partially shot in secret during the Sochi Olympic Games — and will make its way to US televisions via EPIX this October.
The Hollywood Reporter noted that the doc features Johnny Weir (who drew criticism for he would not protest the anti-gay Russian laws) as host-interviewer, and chronicles two generations of Olympic LGBT athletes. The film will also feature Stephen Fry (who was very active in protesting the games), gay basketball star Jason Collins, snowboarders Belle Brockhoff and Simona Meiler, speed skaters Anastasia Bucsis and Blake Skjellerup, tennis player Billie Jean King, diver Greg Louganis, and four-time gold medal-winning hockey player Charline Labonté, among others. In addition to Sochi, the film was shot in New York, Calgary, Toronto, St. Petersburg and Moscow.
“As gay athletes’ fight for equality continues to gain momentum, EPIX is proud to provide a platform for this important global conversation,” EPIX president and CEO Mark Greenberg said.
The film was notably produced by Howard Gertler (who also was behind Oscar-nominated doc “How to Survive a Plague” and Canadian artist and filmmaker Elle Flanders.
We’ll definitely be very curious to see how it turns out when it airs on EPIX on October 22nd (and perhaps plays a festival or two beforehand?).
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