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Queer cinema in Azerbaijan tells stories of visibility and survival

December 4, 2025

In Azerbaijan, where LGBTQI+ individuals face systemic discrimination, violent crackdowns, and hate crimes documented since 2017, a new generation of queer filmmakers is creating an alternative cinematic history through personal storytelling. These independent short films, often made by trans and non-binary directors who are graduates of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, challenge decades of heteronormative representation where queer characters appeared only as caricatures or punchlines. Through intimate portrayals exploring themes of home, safety, and identity, filmmakers like Vusala Hajiyeva, Miray Deniz, and Mehriban Karimova are documenting lives that have been systematically erased from mainstream culture.

Who is affected

  • LGBTQI+ people in Azerbaijan who face arrests, torture, violence, and discrimination
  • Trans women who migrate from Azerbaijan to Istanbul and Tbilisi seeking safety
  • Specific individuals featured in films: Roma, Lady Cat, Lisa, and Kristina (a murdered trans woman)
  • Avaz Hafizli, a 23-year-old LGBTQI+ activist murdered by his cousin in 2022
  • Isa Shahmarli, an activist who died by suicide in 2014
  • Filmmaker Vusala Hajiyeva, who was forced to relocate to Tbilisi
  • Karmen, a 20-year-old trans student featured in "Home Within"
  • Trans and non-binary filmmakers including Miray Deniz and Mehriban Karimova
  • At least 15 LGBTQI+ people attacked with weapons and 12 killed between 2013 and 2023
  • Family members of LGBTQI+ individuals, including Kristina's mother and Hafizli's mother

What action is being taken

  • A new generation of queer filmmakers is producing short films documenting LGBTQI+ experiences
  • Vusala Hajiyeva is directing multiple films including "Bunny Decides to Go," "A and 24 Others," "Anyone from Istanbul," and "Leave the Room, Make a Mistake"
  • Miray Deniz is consistently creating films foregrounding LGBTQI+ experiences, including "Queer Destiny: Avaz Hafizli"
  • Mehriban Karimova is addressing prejudice through her film "Home Within"
  • These films are being screened at international film festivals, including Oslo Fusion International Film Festival and the Sevil International Women's Documentary Film Festival
  • QueerRadar is conducting investigations documenting attacks and murders of LGBTQI+ people
  • Artists are creating what the article describes as an "alternative archive" through cinema

Why it matters

  • This emerging queer cinema is significant because it challenges decades of erasure and misrepresentation in a country where LGBTQI+ lives have been systematically marginalized and where mainstream cinema has only portrayed queer characters as caricatures. These films serve multiple critical functions: they document human rights violations, including the 2017 mass arrests and ongoing hate crimes that lack proper investigation due to the absence of hate crime classification in national law. By telling their own stories rather than being subjected to outside narratives, trans and non-binary filmmakers are reclaiming agency and creating the first authentic queer cinematic history in Azerbaijan. The films preserve memory and experience where official records fail, transforming personal trauma into collective narrative and making visible lives that society has deemed unworthy of recognition or mourning. In a context where even respected film industry figures express hostility toward LGBTQI+ representation, the very existence of these films represents an act of resistance and survival.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: Global Voices