Documentary backdrop image for Big Open Closet (2018)

Documentary backdrop image for Big Open Closet (2018)

201817 minPGdoc-short

Big Open Closet

201817 minPGdoc-short

Seventeen minutes detail the daily lives and challenges faced by transgender individuals in St Petersburg, Russia.

Genres

Directors

Synopsis

Seventeen minutes detail the daily lives and challenges faced by transgender individuals in St Petersburg, Russia.

People

Owl Fisherdirector

Fox Fisherdirector

Synopsis

Owl and Fox Fisher present a documentary set in St Petersburg, Russia. "Big Open Closet" focuses on the daily lives of transgender individuals, including trans women, trans men, and non-binary people. It addresses the specific challenges they face in a society that often marginalizes them. This 17-minute film is the first of its kind to document these experiences in Russia. Special thanks are given to Jonny and all contributors who shared their stories.

Comments

What are people saying?

Play More Like This

Covert Homosexuality in a Russian Metropolis (2007)

Covert Homosexuality in a Russian Metropolis

Russia's gay community faces limited freedom and ongoing persecution despite recent reforms.

Covert Homosexuality in a Russian Metropolis

Being LGBTQ+ in Putin's Russia (Reggie Yates Documentary) (2024)

Being LGBTQ+ in Putin's Russia (Reggie Yates Documentary)

LGBTQ+ individuals in contemporary Russia face significant challenges, including homophobia and political repression, as they strive for acceptance and visibility.

Being LGBTQ+ in Putin's Russia (Reggie Yates Documentary)

Extreme Russia: Gay & Under Attack (Reggie Yates Documentary) (2021)

Extreme Russia: Gay & Under Attack (Reggie Yates Documentary)

Nearly half of gay people in Russia have experienced some form of homophobic abuse, reflecting the country's hostile environment for LGBTQ individuals.

Extreme Russia: Gay & Under Attack (Reggie Yates Documentary)

Living in Russia: Youth (3/6) (2020)

Living in Russia: Youth (3/6)

53% of young people in Russia express a desire to leave their country, reflecting a divide in aspirations among the youth.

Living in Russia: Youth (3/6)

Living in Russia: Childhood (2/6) (2020)

Living in Russia: Childhood (2/6)

Over a quarter of children and teenagers in Russia live in poverty, with one in five having tried drugs at least once.

Living in Russia: Childhood (2/6)

Living in Russia: Adulthood (4/6) (2020)

Living in Russia: Adulthood (4/6)

A train transports over 1,000 passengers annually through remote areas of Russia, connecting isolated communities to essential services and each other.

Living in Russia: Adulthood (4/6)

Russia - Trapped In Homophobia (2025)

Russia - Trapped In Homophobia

In Russia, the Anti-Propaganda law has intensified legal discrimination and violence against the LGBT community, forcing many to live in secrecy or flee.

Russia - Trapped In Homophobia

The Terrifying Reality of Life Under Russia's Anti-Gay Laws (2014)

The Terrifying Reality of Life Under Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

Since July 2013, promoting homosexuality has been a criminal offense in Russia, leading to increased police presence at events like Queer Fest in St Petersburg.

The Terrifying Reality of Life Under Russia's Anti-Gay Laws

Living in Russia: Old age (5/6) (2020)

Living in Russia: Old age (5/6)

35% of Russia's population is over 50, with pensioners receiving an average of 180 euros per month, barely enough to live on.

Living in Russia: Old age (5/6)

The Russians - An intimate journey through Russia (1/2) (2020)

The Russians - An intimate journey through Russia (1/2)

2,300 babies were abandoned in Russia in 2018, prompting a look at the lives of six individuals from different generations across the country.

The Russians - An intimate journey through Russia (1/2)

Explore Big Open Closet

Trailer People FAQ

Browse more like this

Being LGBTQ+ in Putin's Russia (Reggie Yates Documentary) (2024)

Being LGBTQ+ in Putin's Russia (Reggie Yates Documentary)

LGBTQ+ individuals in contemporary Russia face significant challenges, including homophobia and political repression, as they strive for acceptance and visibility.

Being LGBTQ+ in Putin's Russia (Reggie Yates Documentary)

No digital watch option in your country

Extreme Russia: Gay & Under Attack (Reggie Yates Documentary) (2021)

Extreme Russia: Gay & Under Attack (Reggie Yates Documentary)

Nearly half of gay people in Russia have experienced some form of homophobic abuse, reflecting the country's hostile environment for LGBTQ individuals.

Extreme Russia: Gay & Under Attack (Reggie Yates Documentary)

No digital watch option in your country

Russia - Trapped In Homophobia (2025)

Russia - Trapped In Homophobia

In Russia, the Anti-Propaganda law has intensified legal discrimination and violence against the LGBT community, forcing many to live in secrecy or flee.

Russia - Trapped In Homophobia

No digital watch option in your country

Sex in Strange Places (2016)

Sex in Strange Places

2016•51m•★6.6TMDB

In Brazil, carnival culture significantly influences sexual expression and the commercialization of beauty among young people.

Sex in Strange Places

Saint Petersdrag (2019)

Saint Petersdrag

2019•50m•★7.3TMDB

Fifty minutes of vibrant performances reveal the challenges faced by drag artists in St. Petersburg, Russia, amid societal stigma and contrasting Western norms.

Saint Petersdrag

TRANS (2012)

TRANS

2012•1h44m•★5.0TMDB

Transgender individuals share personal stories about their lives, challenges, and interactions within their community.

Children 404 (2014)

Children 404

2014•1h16m•★5.8TMDB

Forty-five Russian teens and tweens share their experiences of bullying and violence in a country where a law bans the promotion of nontraditional sexual relations to minors.

To Russia with Love (2014)

To Russia with Love

2014•1h30m•★3.8TMDB

Four openly LGBT athletes, including Johnny Weir and Blake Skjellerup, confront the challenges of competing in Russia amid a controversial gay propaganda law.

To Russia with Love

Coming Out of the Iron Closet (1995)

Coming Out of the Iron Closet

1995•40m•★3.3TMDB

Peloso's 1995 film focuses on the post-Soviet gay community in Moscow, Riga, and Tallinn as it begins to find its voice and visibility.

Coming Out of the Iron Closet

Is this your film?

If you made this film or hold the rights to it, we'd like to talk. We can license it and pay you a share of what it earns.

License it with us →