Film-Event: „Queens of Joy“
To mark the International Transgender Day of Visibility, we will be screening “Queens of Joy” at the Mathäser Cinema on 31 March. The film tells the story of three queer people from Ukraine: Monroe, a trans* woman and icon of the Ukrainian queer scene; Artur Ozerov, also known as drag artist Aura and soldier; and Oleksandr Danilin, who was also a legendary figure in Ukrainian drag culture as Marlen Scandal. The screening starts at 7.30 pm. The filmmakers will be there. Buy your tickets now.
The story? When Russia begins its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the three join forces to organise a charity drag show in support of their country. Their action shows that art can be a powerful weapon of creative resistance and solidarity.
Monroe, Marlen and Aura
We learn that Monroe has been fighting for acceptance and her own identity her entire life. She is known as a television presenter, actress, blogger and influencer, and for a long time described herself as a “transvestite diva”. With the outbreak of war, Monroe embarked on a journey to discover her true self as a trans* person.
Then there is Oleksandr Danilin, alias Marlen Scandal. He always had led a double life they tell in the movie: in his role as Oleksandr, he was a friendly, compassionate and modest person. As Marlen, he transformed himself into the self-confident drag queen. Despite the war, Oleksandr continued to perform in drag shows. It is him who brings Monroe and Aura together in the film to organise the big charity show. Oleksandr sadly passed away shortly after the film premiere.
Drag saves lives
Finally, Artur Ozerov, called Aura. He had already served eight years in the Ukrainian Army’s environmental protection department by 2025, when the film was released. Before the war began, Arthur gave his first drag show as Aura, who had always been a big part of his personality. However, Artur had never dared to show her before.
Artur grew up in a typical post-Soviet family: his mother’s brother moved to Russia and is now an FSB officer. His mother and he decided to stay in Ukraine. KyivPride had already portrayed Artur in the exhibition “I am OUT of Ukraine. I am IN Ukraine” in 2022.
“Queens of Joy” is a statement about the courage to remain true to oneself, even when circumstances are extremely adverse. “This film is for all of us,” says the director Olga Gibelinda, who is presenting her debut with “Queens of Joy”.
A film about dignity, love and creativity
She says: “We all fight our own battles for identity, for love, for the right to have a voice in this world. In the darkest times, we are united not only by shared suffering, but also by an unshakeable dignity, the ability to feel joy, to create and to love. It is a story about those who, despite the war, have chosen life in all its colourfulness.” Click here for the trailer
The director will attend the show at Mathäser in person (or participate online). In a Q&A with Christina Parficheva from Munich Kyiv Queer, who is organising this event, she will answer questions from the audience. Christina Parficheva and Samantha Jackson, Bavaria’s first Ukrainian drag queen, will welcome the audience as hosts. We will show the film in its original language (Ukrainian, Russian) with English subtitles.
Film “Queens of Joy”
When 31 March 2026, 7.30 p.m.
Where Mathäser Cinema, Bayerstraße 3 tp 5, 80335 Munich (Stachus)
Tickets from 9,90 Euro
Organized by Munich Kyiv Queer, Mathäser Cinema, MunichPride, Department of Culture of the City of Munich
This is how you can donate
INDIVIDUAL HELP Munich Kyiv Queer has its own fundraising campaign via https://www.paypal.me/ConradBreyer to support queer people in Ukraine who are in need or on the run. Why? Because not all LGBTIQ* are organised in the local LGBTIQ*-groups. This help is direct, fast and free of charge if you choose the option “For friends and family” on PayPal. If you don’t have PayPal, you can alternatively send money to the private account of Conrad Breyer, speaker of Munich Kyiv Queer, IBAN: DE427015000021121454.
All requests from the community are meticulously checked in cooperation with our partner organisations in Ukraine. If they can help themselves, they take over. If the demands for help exceed their (financial and/or material) possibilities, we will step in.
HELP FOR LGBTIQ* ORGANISATIONS To support LGBTIQ* in Ukraine we have helped set up the Alliance Queer Emergency Aid Ukraine, in which around 40 German LGBTIQ* Human Rights organisations are involved. All these groups have access to very different Human Rights organisations in Ukraine and use funds for urgently needed care or evacuation of queer people. Every donation helps and is used 100 percent to benefit queer people in Ukraine. Donate here
VULNERABLE GROUP And here you can find out why queer people in war need our support.
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