Inside Patia's Fantasy World

May 01, 2020

At first, Patia Borja started her Instagram meme page to reclaim black vernacular being reposted by white-owned meme accounts. "I knew I clearly had to do this myself," she tells us over the phone. "I honestly made the account for my friends and black people like me."

It worked. Having been at just 3k followers on her Instagram meme page at this time last year, that number has skyrocketed to nearly 100k (@patiasfantasyworld). Not only that, but through her memes Patia has become a sort of trailblazer for posting the types of hyper niche memes that have made her so popular.

You've probably seen her text posts floating around your Instagram timeline, but if not, this is the format they'll typically follow.

Intro by Ivan Guzman
Interview by Lydia Arauz
Photos by Leander Capuozzo
Photo Assistant: Sausha de la Ossa

Her memes tend to be in the format of Facebook text posts—you know, the ones with the colorful backgrounds and Facebook-specific emojis that your annoying Aunt Karen will use to vent about her day. They're often dubbed with layers and layers of filters so that the text is almost illegible. If you're a meme-experienced person, you get that this adds to the humor of it all.

But most importantly, Patia's memes are short vignettes of daily life, both found objects (Patia and co. are constantly searching Facebook for content) and curated observations about the dumb things people do and say on the internet and IRL. Often times, they're very specific and rooted in a collective experience we all have but rarely put forth the brain power to articulate. They also reference black culture in a way that is nuanced, detailed, and funny as fuck. Focusing on the experiences of black triumphs and tribulations, she highlights black culture through humor in a way that no other meme page can. Instead of waiting for someone to offer her a seat at the table, Patia said, "Fuck it," and made her own table.

Patia chats on the phone with office to talk about trolls, memes as a language, and juicy tips to being a bad bitch.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm from Jacksonville, Florida. I moved to New York when I was 17 in 2010. I originally moved to go to SVA for graphic design—I dropped out after a year. Somehow through hell and high water the thing that has made me successful is a meme account.

How long have you been in New York?

I’ve been here for 10 years! I’m a granny!

How have you been making the time pass during quarantine?

Listen, I was built for this. I grew up being an only child, I had no interest in driving, and I was just always home alone because my mom worked a lot. I read a lot and I just don’t get bored—wait, let me correct that because I know my friends are going to be like, "What the fuck bitch you say you’re bored all the time." I get more bored around people than I do myself. I literally think I’m so interesting, and I just don’t like to be bothered with people. Lately, I’ve just been doing what I always do; I’ve been watching my TV, reading books, and I’ve been playing animal crossing which has been the main thing. I feel like my quarantine has been the same as my regular life. I’ve been writing. I’ve been working on merchandise for followers. I’m trying to get my blue check.

You know I got to ask. What led you to create @patiasfantasyworld? Did you ever expect it to blow up the way it did?

Back in 2015, me and my friend created this Instagram page called ‘bundle update’—bundle was a code word for cocaine. And it was pictures of people, who are pretty big now, doing cocaine. It was very explicit. We didn’t have that many followers; we had 500 before it got shut down for drug usage, but it was fun. It was a very fearless time. And this was also around the era when people first started creating finstas. I had a regular Instagram and then made a finsta in 2017. I had just been posting memes in the same format actually. @Patiasfantasyworld started off as a finsta because this was my fantasy world. And then someone had told me to make it public which I did, and it started off really small. I had my friend's log in to use my account as a burner, you know, in case they wanted to stalk someone or whatever. A lot of people I knew online helped me post. It was a really slow trajectory. In 2018, I didn't have any fucking followers, granted I was private but still! Even this time last year I only had 3K. Everyone in the scene had liked it—specifically a lot of people who worked in magazines. I got a lot of, "Oh yeah we should work together." If I had a hundred dollars for everytime I heard that last year when I had no followers, I would be so rich; people were just talking and talking. I knew I clearly had to do this myself. I was posting 700 memes a week. People would be like, "You post a lot," and I would be like, "I don't give a fuck!" I just didn't care! I made a meme account because I got really sick of seeing African American vernacular on people's pages who I thought shouldn't be reposting that type of content. Or you know white meme accounts that were using 'nigga' and other shit that rubbed me the wrong way. So I said, 'I need to do this'. And people always ask me, "Can I repost even though it has the 'N' word?" And I'm like, "If you get your ass beat that is not my problem." I honestly made the account for my friends and black people like me.

I’m successful because I won’t shut the fuck up.

Would you describe yourself as funny IRL? Were you the class clown growing up?

No, I think I’m good at reactions. I’m the person who rolls my eyes a lot. I’m a reaction picture; I wasn’t a class clown. I’ve spent a lot of years on Twitter cyber bullying people who said ignorant shit though.

Girl no way!

No like forreal! I used to call out people before “woke” was a thing. I used to get into arguments with people about the usage of the ‘N’ word, specifically with a lot of white girls who are on magazine covers and stuff like that. I’m successful because I won’t shut the fuck up. And I am not willing to compromise that. I’ve called out NY dudes who were rapists and shit, and had their friends who were girls try to come for me. They’d say things like, “He’s not violent," and that was the craziest logic I’ve ever heard.

You represent a new breed of meme curators, in a way. The humor just feels so specific and pertains to a certain crowd, it seems. If you had to say, what is the one “thing” that draws people to your collections of memes?

I think it's the honesty of it all. I only have one thing that's off limits on my meme account, and it's literally anything that's related to the Kardashians. I think it's wack, I think it's bland, and I think it's toxic to society because it's the craziest amount of cultural appropriation that's cosigned by so many people. Besides that anything goes. I don't care about posting a 'certain type' of meme, or getting in trouble by it. So many accounts care about being politically correct—I don't. I think my account is relatable, and I try to keep it so there's something for everybody. There's something for single people, there's something for the girl who lurks way too much, there's something you can send your ex, and there's something you can send your current boyfriend. I think it's also crazy how especially the text posts, which are only like 10 words, can make you crack the fuck up. The power of the meme, or actually the power of the 10 words that you're reading and 1,000 other people relating to it. I think that's interesting. It's so broad but so many different types of people can relate to getting played. And it's so sad because I thought I was the only one being played! That's crazy, and us laughing about it is even sadder!

If you were to identify as a Disney Channel character, who would it be and why?

Penny Proud! I think she’s a Cancer, I don't actually know if she is. If we weren’t limiting this to Disney, though, I would definitely say I'm a mixed combination of Spongebob, Bobby Hill from King of the Hill, and Bart Simpson. I think it's because sometimes when I talk to guys they're just like who is this girl. I didn't really blossom into my looks until recently kind of, so in some weird body dysmorphic way I always see myself in middle school watching all these weird TV shows that weren't girly at all. And I think when people see me at face value they're like, "Wow, she's hot," and then I talk—the smartest thing doesn't always come out. My mind is constantly replaying Spongebob catching jellyfish. It's the commercial break happening in my brain once the ADD wears off. And I would say Penny Proud for Disney because she’s very sensitive and she cares for people. She also has the crazy friends like I do, and she doesn't let the Gross sisters bother her.

Are memes a new a language?

I feel like personally it's helped me be more direct. It's weird because I've met people, and they'll come up to me refrencing a meme I've posted. Initially I get weirded out, like, why don't you use real words? And why are we repeating the meme in real life? It weirds me out, but I get it. I guess it is a new language. I think memes kind of taught me to not even worry about sending a paragraph to a guy—I'll see a meme and think, those 10 words, that's what I'ma send this nigga. And that's enough because men can't read.

If you weren’t a burgeoning content queen, what would your dream job be?

I would love to be an astronaut. I love space, and I grew up going to planetariums. My childhood was really fucked up, but it made me who I am. Whenever I had to spend time with my dad, we would always argue. My whole idea was like okay, if I'm going to spend the weekend with him let's go to the museum or the planetarium back home because you can't really talk in those places—you have to be quiet. I was into all the alien stuff, even the theatrical stuff like Men in Black. I would love to explore outer space because there is so much unknown. And the one thing about me is that I love discovering the unknown. Even right now there is so much unknown, but we have to accept it. But back to space, I really love it. I'd want to be an astronaut—I used to go to NASA when I was little so many times. It was like a two hour drive from me. I was so interested in science because my mom was a chemist, and I grew up around it. Obviously being an astronaut I'd have to go into space, but I wouldn't mind doing a lot of research in boring ass Florida and cooking eggs for my man. That would be a cute life I'd want.

What’s the first thing you’re doing when it’s safe to finally go out?

I’ll wait for everyone to go out first and see what happens! Honestly I'm probably going to spend a bunch of money on oysters because it's my favorite food, and I'm craving it. I'm sober right now, but I keep making the joke that maybe I shouldn't be sober because you never really know what's going to happen in the future. Also the main thing I've been doing during quarantine is getting snatched. I've been doing a three week cleanse, but I just had some unhealthy solid food—so I basically fucked up my cleanse. I've been working out and I just ordered resistance bands. Honestly I've been focusing on getting snatched because I know a lot of people are letting themselves go, and I can see it. And I don't know how to tell some of my friends that quarantine doesn't have to mean misery. But the main thing I'm going to do once it's safe is pop out and be seen.

Quarantine does not have to mean misery.

I see you’re out here doing big things with Helen with the Gold Teeth. How did your relationship come about, and what have you ladies been cooking up?

I love her. Last year I was broke, and she had a post that she needed someone to run errands for her—and I wasn't doing anything. I ran a day's worth of errands, and she was telling me about her business—and I was like I know how to do all of this. I'm really good at personal assisting and logistics, and it started from that. This is the first time I've had a boss who represented the things I truly love like hip-hop and at the same time is very giving and professional. Working with Helen is so crazy because we share a lot of mutual friends, but she was away when I was going out more. So we didn't truly connect until working together. We're actually working on a fundraiser now. One is for a Christian center and the other is for a restaurant handing out meals to help out with COVID needs. She's been doing so much to give back, and she always checks in with me. Sometimes I feel starstruck because in what world am I working for someone who thinks Gucci Mane is the coolest rapper, and her work is a representation of all the things she's actually embraced.

Being on Instagram, a lot of things go down in the DM. What’s the wildest DM you've ever received?

Besides troll shit, I would say the top three would be an NBA player asking me where to cop weed in New York. Everytime I would respond to something they would unsend it, so then I started unsending my shit too! And it clicked to me like, "Oh shit, you can't do this." Another thing would be when I first started the page someone told me that they just got out of prison. Their girlfriend showed them my meme account before they got locked up, and when they got out, they DM'ed me right away to say that I was the first account they checked to catch up on all the posts. I thought that was crazy because I've gotten DM's like that multiple times, and I'm just like, "What y'all got locked up for?" What am I enabling on this page? My dream Tik Tok would be a bunch of fine ass niggas in prison with my meme account on someone's phone.

Another crazy one would be when I posted a screencap of an article about COVID. Before things got severe and no one was taking it seriosuly at that point. So many people trolled my ass and there were so many racist ass comments. Everyone was like, "No one's going to die unless you're 30," and that was the worst thing the media could've told people because everyone was so reckless. I remember responding to someone by saying, "Are you a scientist? Are you a doctor?" And you know you can't challenge white people on the internet like that. This guy kept going back and forth and then other people jumped in. Sometimes I don't even have to jump in because other people will jump in before I've even see the comment. I think I ended up posting a photo of him and the rude comment he made—and then he DM'ed saying I was pussy for posting his photo! The trolls forget that they're on the internet too! They feel untouchable. You are literally trolling me on a public account with your photo on it and your last name! I remember this one white girl came for me. She tried it! She was like sixteen, and all it took was a little Facebook moment. I had to ask her, does the principal at this school know that you're harrassing black women like this on the internet? I knew she was shook too by how quick she deleted her comment. I'm lucky that I have the backbone for this type of shit, but unfortunately that isn't the case for a lot of people on the internet. A lot of people aren't built for trolls. But I do have to play it safe, I don't tell people to kill themselves. I'm not savage, this account will get deleted—you can't say certain things on the internet, the FBI will show up. No matter how lighthearted it seems.

What are your top three tips to being a bad bitch?

You have to be a Barb, that's one. Sometimes I'll have a sad day and listen to a Nicki verse or feature and just scream, "Period!" The second thing is you can’t overthink, and you have to believe in the decisions you make AKA believe in yourself. I sound crazy, but it's true! And the third one would be to take care of yourself. Mental health is crazy out here, and it's even crazier because of Instagram. It's especially crazy if you live in a Metropolitan city, and you're constanly seeing people who have more than you. None of that shit matters. I remember being so stressed because I couldn't afford things, and that's why I wasn't noticeable—I would just wear sweatpants. The most generic clothing. I thought that that mattered, but it doesn't. Personality always wins.

The year is 2065. Your grandchildren are sitting on your lap and one of them asks you, “Grandma, what was the year 2020 like?” What do you reply?

Girl that was the year I got curved during quarantine. I probably won the gold medal for getting curved.

Culture

Mowalola x Miss Sixty Launch with H. Lorenzo

I swing my legs over the ropes that guard the VIP entrance. Always over (I’m 5’10), never under. I’m late to the H. Lorenzo x Mowalola event, and the line is wrapped around the block. I don’t want to be an asshole, but I hate waiting in lines; it just ruins everything.

“Hey, my friend is DJing right now. My name should be down,” I say.

The youngish security guard looks me up and down. I have made an adventurous choice for this type of crowd. Neon pink hoodie, bright orange vest, my Raimundo jeans, and Jeremy Scott animal print sneakers. I let him take me in and look over his shoulder. Hmmm… I will be swathed in darkness when he lets me in. Dark night, dark clothes, dark makeup, furs, hoods, leather accessories, and sunglasses. I don’t recognize anyone, but it’s hard to tell who anyone is because I can’t see after 8 pm without my glasses. Night blindness. I can still catch a vibe though.

“She’s in the bathroom,” Mr. Guard says, interrupting my squinting.

“Who?,” I ask.

“The woman in charge of the list.”

That’s a drag. I want to dance. Lately, I am going out in the name of music.

“So…can I go in?” I ask.

“Just wait for her to get back.”

That sounded fine. I wait. The outdoor smoking area is packed. I imagine the inside to be a mirror of this, hopefully with people dancing instead of blowing smoke in each other’s eyes.

“You got instagram?” The guard asks me after about ten minutes of flirting.

“Can I go in?” I said.

He laughs. He lets me in the event without a wristband.

Inside, I understand why the other guard was gone for so long. I made a mental note to not drink too much liquid, the bathroom line is almost as long as the line outside. The party is popping, far from a flop.

I push through the crowd solo, following the speakers to the DJ booth. The immersive visuals provided me with enough light to make out Mowalola in a gold bikini and her low rise denim. My pulse races like the horse printed on the front of her coochie. That’s the point of the collection, obviously.

My hips swing around before I head towards the open bar. I smile to myself, noting that it’s a mezcal forward menu. I see a drink that disgusts me so I order it without hesitation. It’s a mezcal coffee concoction. My heart ’s ran through already, why not go all in? I head back to dance when I hear Shigecki’s set start. I’m jumping around, sweating, and when I pause for a beat I let out a yelp. There are strippers working poles opposite and behind the DJ booth. Good. Events should be sexy.

I end the night smoking my friend’s Korean strawberry cigarettes taking in the air of cool- when a man comes up to me wild-eyed exclaiming that we look just like one another. I look at him- no, not at all. I turn slowly, remembering what I should be doing: listening to DJ G2G’s set. Back inside, she is playing reggaeton type beats with lasers beaming out of her headphones (I want these). A rave in it of herself.

Too bad all the events end at 2 am in LA.

Culture

Vans Pipe Masters 2024

On the first night, Steve Van Doren and the Vans team hosted the heat draw for the competitors at a casual backyard barbecue. The son of Vans’ co-founder Paul Van Doren, Steve has worked in the family business for decades, and is now known as the Ambassador of Fun. Wearing a Hawaiian shirt and a cowboy hat made out of old shoes, he was definitely dressed for the part. The surfers, along with family and friends gathered in a relaxed setting as 40 men’s and 20 women’s names were drawn from a shoebox. The competition would run in 3 rounds, the top 4 men and 4 women with the highest scores moving onto the finals. When asked about their strategies, most gave answers along the lines of “get waves.” Refreshingly simple.

After waiting a few days for favorable conditions, the first day of competition kicked off with Women’s Round 1. It was finally time to see Pipeline in action. Banzai Pipeline is known as one of the most dangerous places to surf due to the powerful waves breaking over shallow and sharp reefs. With the potential to crash into the rocky edges or have leashes caught in caves, it takes a ton of skill–-and even more courage–to surf here. No stranger to these risks, the first heat included favorites Caity Simmers and “Queen of Pipeline” Moana Jones Wong, who showed off exactly why they’d been successful here in the past. Midway through the heats, Mother Nature decided to throw in another element as a light drizzle turned into a proper downpour. Rain or shine, the athletes went out unfazed, focused on getting their first points on the board.

After another short day’s break, the competition continued with the women’s second round and the men’s first. The beach was filled with spectators, locals and tourists alike, as the competition was free for all to attend. While fans rooted equally for the women and men, the most popular were the local Hawaiian athletes, which made up about half the competition. The women started off the day again, hyping up the crowd with incredible rides. One ride by Bettylou Sakura Johnson earned the first Bag of Cash of the day– a cash prize (of undisclosed amount) awarded in a brown paper bag to any surfer that pulls off a wow moment, excites the crowd, and pulls off something spectacular regardless of what the conditions might look like.

Winds picked up as the men’s competition began and two strategies quickly emerged: an aggressive approach, targeting any decent waves to build small scores; and a patient approach, waiting for the perfect wave to chase a high single score. Even the waves that were unrideable were a spectacle in itself. The sheer size, illustrated by the length of surfboards riding up and over, and the following crash of white water spray was hypnotizing. Then imagining having to experience it out on the water, duck diving under or being lifted over, brought a renewed respect for the surfers.

After watching these early rounds, it was time for office to head back to the cold. With the competition officially spanning from December 8-20, it seemed the forecast was gearing up for some massive waves— and it didn’t disappoint. Following from afar through Vans’ Instagram and live updates, we saw the full extent of what it means to surf at Pipeline. After a series of electrifying and daring surfs, the 2024 winners were crowned: Erin Brooks and Nathan Florence.

The thrill of watching top athletes compete at the highest level of their sport, even remotely, never fails to inspire. Few sports surrender so completely to the forces of nature as surfing does. And at its core, surfing is all about having a deep respect for the ocean—its unpredictable whims, its immense power, and its ever-changing moods.

Culture

The Cost of Queendom

December 17, 2024

One summer afternoon in New York, a few days after their New York premiere of the acclaimed documentary Queendom, office met up with documentary filmmaker Agniia Galdanova and producer Igor Myakotin at a tattoo parlor on the west side of Manhattan. While Agniia received a tattoo of the portmanteau “DOCU CUNT” across her fists, she — unfazed by the needle on her knuckles — answered our questions alongside Igor about the making of the stirring story that has traveled around the world.

One of the opening scenes of Queendom depicts a ritual many of us are all too familiar with in the 21st century. Jenna Marvin, the documentary film’s central subject, takes her friend along with her to take photos for Instagram. When she finds a suitable backdrop, she poses, poses, poses, and then reviews the photos. Dissatisfied, she gives her notes, and then returns to pose, pose, pose again.

By Brook Aster
Photos by Liv Solomon

The ritual may be familiar, but nothing else about the scene — from its setting to its stakes — is ordinary. The backdrop behind Jenna is a sweeping expanse of ice and snow in a small Russian port town called Magadan. Jenna is dressed in drag, but not drag of the Rupaul’s Drag Race variety; her drag has been referred to as “creature drag.” Her signature white face paint, platform heels and surrealist costumes, with their exaggerated sculptural proportions and use of duct tape and repurposed items, catches the ire of her neighbors and the love of online admirers alike. Jenna eventually accrued a following on social media for her public and technically illegal drag performances, which often involved little more than her walking or being in public spaces but nevertheless were often met with abuse and threats of imprisonment.

But when Agniia first encountered Jenna, she hadn’t yet reached the level of virality that would eventually come in the years to follow. The filmmaker was researching different drag performers in Russia for her sophomore project, which she thought would be a docuseries, when she heard from a friend about a young drag queen from Magadan. “I was like, this is impossible. I have to meet this person,” Agniia remembers. “And I could not actually go meet her because I was in Moscow and she was in Saint Petersburg, so I sent a friend of mine with whom I’d been studying with in film school, and she went and filmed the sample.” The simple video, showing Jenna and her friend getting dressed up for a party, struck something in Agniia. The drag was an earlier, more prototypical version of the style Jenna is now known for; less duct tape and ornamentation, but still that signature striking makeup. “Something sparked. I knew I just had to stick to this feeling,” Agniia says. She decided to turn the docuseries into a documentary solely focused on Jenna.

Around that time, the entire world came to a grinding halt: the onset of COVID-19 pandemic had just led to lockdowns around the globe. With only a couple thousand followers on social media at that point in time, Jenna had tried to branch out and connect with other drag artists in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, but faced rejection; her drag was extremely unconventional, and not even other drag artists quite understood it. “I think we found each other at the right moment, because nobody knew what to do, how to cope with all this,” Agniia says. “Jenna was saying that she was lost, and she also didn't know how to develop her art next.”

Unlike some of the other artists Agniia had initially researched, Jenna didn’t need much convincing to allow the camera into her life. “[Especially] after COVID came, there wasn't really [any] drag in my life,” Jenna recounts when I speak to her later over Zoom. “I realized that what drag is for me is not just a costume, a dress, something that you leave, that you take off and then in the dead of the night you put back on. Later, I understood that this is who I am, that I am art and I am drag, and that this is way bigger and more important than just clothing or costume.”

[LEFT TO RIGHT: Agniia Galdanova, Jenna Marvin, Igor Myakotin]

When it came time to move into production stages, Agniia sent a clip to Igor, who had been referred to her by a past colleague. When Igor saw the footage, he was similarly struck by Jenna — and even more struck to find out she shared his small hometown of Magadan. “It was just so fateful to know that I also come from this town, and I've never seen it through this cinematic lens, through the vision that Agniia has,” he says. “I was mesmerized by the footage, mesmerized by Jenna. I thought to myself, I have to do everything I can [for us] to work together, whatever the collaboration is gonna be.”

The two followed Jenna for over three years; Agniia first relocated to St. Petersburg, where Jenna had taken up residence after leaving her grandparents’ home in Magadan, and later Jenna moved in with Agniia in her home in Moscow. All the while, Igor and his team worked remotely from the United States to meet Agniia’s production needs. Inevitably, with all their time spent together, Agniia and Jenna became close.

“There is an unspoken rule in documentary filmmaking that you have to keep this line, and you can’t overcome certain boundaries,” Agniia explains. “In my first film, it was not an easy subject [to do this with] as well. I was following a family for seven months, and [we became] close, but I always was trying to keep my distance, and was constantly thinking about it. How much should I say? How much should I give?” But as she got to know Jenna, it became clear that this time, that distance wouldn’t be possible. “With Jenna almost from the very beginning, I was like, fuck it. That’s not going to work with this one. I'm going to break this rule 100%. I never regretted it, because that's actually what built up the trust that is there.”

As Jenna's public performances continued and began to garner more public attention, her online audience multiplied. Among her virtual admirers was French fashion maven Michèle Lamy, who would eventually sign onto Queendom as an executive producer. Lamy's discovery of Jenna led to an invitation to walk in the Rick Owens show in Paris — her first time modeling, and her first time leaving Russia in her life. Of course, Agniia and her camera followed. But most of their excursions were not so glamorous; many of Jenna's performances shown in the documentary were undertaken at a real risk to her physical safety, and by extension, to the safety of Agniia. But neither of them were daunted.

I remember who I am. And this is what carries me through this life.

After all, Jenna was used to both taking risks and documenting them well before she was the subject of a film; she and her friends long filmed the often impassioned, sometimes violent reactions of strangers and policemen to their mere existence in public spaces in drag. And after a protest performance in which she wrapped herself in the Russian flag, Jenna was kicked out of beauty school, her last attempt at a practical route before pursuing her drag as a full time venture.

The only time Agniia tried to dissuade her was on Paratrooper’s Day, a Russian military holiday often characterized by the drunk soldiers roaming the streets. The risk for violence was especially high. “On Paratroopers Day, people say you can't come out in skinny jeans or with nail polish,” Jenna describes. “[I think] you should do the opposite. You should really make a statement and come out wearing what you want to wear. I think that clothes, what we wear, is really at some point beyond our psyche, our mind, our understanding. It is as if it's a certain kind of spice that is enticing you and you follow the scent of that spice and you don't see anything else except that scent and you follow it. That's how I see it.”

“I was like, ‘girl, maybe we should not do that,’” Agniia says. “Igor was stressing out and she told us, ‘well, you don't need to follow me. I'm gonna go and do it. I don't care if you're coming or not.’” In the end, Jenna ventured out for her performance anyway, protesting the then-recent invasion of Ukraine. Agniia followed. Not shown in the film is that the two were arrested, and managed to talk the police out of their arrest.

Not too long after, she would have to leave Russia again, this time moving for Paris for good; the film follows her struggles to get a visa in time to leave the country after the onset of the war. “It's already been three years that I've been in France, and it is important for me to understand and remember who I am, and to remember that pain, those moments when we were back in Russia doing drag, fighting with the police and law enforcement,” Jenna says. “It is important that this resistance continues and that those voices are not being silenced. Yes, here there’s much more freedom, there are pride parades and queer people can get married, but this is an illusion because there are also places where you cannot get married and you cannot enjoy the same freedoms. I cling to who I am, who I was from the very beginning. I remember who I am. And this is what carries me through this life.”

“Meeting Jenna gave me hope for the future of the country, because governments come and go, people in power come and go, but the generations change at the same time,” Igor says. “So it warms my heart to see that someone like her came from somewhere like that. If I saw her back then at a similar age, it would be even more personal. I think I would’ve accepted myself as gay quicker, and I wouldn't be nervous or closed and not open to the world or myself… Working with this project also meant that we were amplifying the voices of many, many people who couldn't speak like Jenna could.”

For Agniia, the honor of telling Jenna's story is only paralleled by the honor of having her in her life. “We found each other,” Agniia says. “And what I learned from Jenna is so precious; about life, about art, about surviving. And I appreciate it a lot. This film grew so much larger than just a documentary, because I have a family now, a working family.”

Queendom is now available to stream on Apple TV.