Pure Heart Sessions with Wendy

May 15, 2024

“Let’s breathe together.” On the Zoom, Wendy closes her eyes. “From the root chakra, spiraling the breath from both sides, softening into the heart, into the crown, our own divinity.” Behind her is a pink christmas tree, a pink unicorn, a pink teddy bear, pink lighting, and pink paintings. We shake it out, wiggling our fingers and jaws. “You know animals — when they get scared they shake their body out, they fix their own nervous system.”

Wendy, musician Harmony Tividad’s mom, is a psychic medium. After a Kundalini awakening in 2013, she realized her mission in life was to help people. Her instagram bio puts it better than I could: Godshelper consciousness soul hckr clearchannel light wrkr psychic Seer medium teacher Kundalini awkned artist author ballofLight LOVEoverfear.

She is a ball of light: talking to her feels like sitting in sun. She holds up a finger between her eyebrows. “Focus on my third eye.” Wendy is preparing to go into a trance (just a little one), where her “Wendy-ness” will take a back seat. In these trances Wendy channels different energy; in one of her sessions she correctly told a client that the client’s father was being poisoned by his wife. Now, Wendy was going to tell me what was happening in my life, which I both desperately needed and was widely afraid of. What if I was being poisoned by my wife? The conversation recorded below has been edited for clarity.

Photography Hector Clark - Paradis Agency
Interview Nicolaia Rips

WENDY TIVIDAD — [Glassy-eyed, gazing slightly off-screen] Where’s your mom? I like your mom.

NICOLAIA RIPS — She’s in the Chelsea Hotel.

WT — What’s her first name?

NR — Sheila.

WT — She needs to have a conversation, get things off her chest. It’s good for her. I don’t know if she’s been kind of blocked lately… What’s your grandma’s first name?

NR — Rosalie.

WT — Where is she?

NR — She’s dead.

WT — Your grandma’s still alive. She’s like a fireball on the other side. She’s a lot of energy. I would not say she’s dead. There’s so much energy with your grandma. When did your grandma leave, honey?

NR — Years ago now, six or something?

WT — Do you ever feel your grandma around? Do you ever feel like you’re getting messages from her? Maybe you should ask your mom if she senses her at times. [Your grandmother’s] energy is a really strong no-nonsense energy... I feel like your mom is kind of coming into her own right now. It sounds funny, because she’s older. But she’s finding herself. Sometimes you’re the mom though. [She squints] You… feel like you have a whole bunch of spiritual growth going on. You could be trying to figure out yourself, you feel like you’ve been walking on different paths, trying to figure out which path to go on. Did you ever do anything with filmmaking in the past? [I nod]

Because you feel like a filmmaker to me. Are you developing a script right now? I’m seeing a lot of scripts for you. And almost like you’re supposed to be storytelling and telling stories…

I love your grandma. I don’t know why she keeps coming in. But she’s almost trying to say hello, or let everyone know, she’s still alive. She may be helping you on the other side. Maybe things she couldn’t do here. She can help you energetically now… You have a lot of stuff with writing and storytelling and you feel like you’re a storyteller. You also feel like… I don’t know if you’ve directed in the past. But there’s something with you directing in the future.

You have a lot of “you can do it” energy. Like you’re honestly incredible. If you don’t know, it’s almost like you can do anything you set your mind to, any creative path you want to be on. I feel like there’s a script. I don’t know if you’ve sold it yet, but it feels like it could sell pretty soon. It almost feels like something you’ve been putting together or working on, maybe for a little while. This year could be the year that it happens. Because I almost feel like it’s been brewing for some time. Does this make sense? Also, do you have a godparent or something?

NR — Her name is Paulina. She’s a model.

WT — Yeah, she’s gorgeous. She’s gorgeous. Did you do anything about her? This is so random. Your godmother is this beautiful woman and it feels like you could be doing a story or something about her or filming her. I almost feel like you’re supposed to tell this story about your godmother and let people know about her in more detail. You have a lot of things with giving women a voice, like there’s something with you really connected to the feminine. It’s very powerful. It’s the kind of thing that you could get acknowledged, you can get awards. You have a lot of stuff with awards and stuff with film. This is the work you’re meant to be doing. You are really good at directing also. There’s a lot of projects for you right now you almost feel like you have so many things you have to juggle. You’re writing for a lot of different people too. Okay, did you fall in love? It feels like you’re in love. What’s the first name?

NR — Ben.

WT — Where is he? Is he there?

NR — No.

WT — Where is he?

NR — Brooklyn?

WT — Oh, where are you?

NR — Soho?

WT — Okay, being there is in New York. (Not dead, he’s just in Bed-Stuy) He’s got a very determined energy when he wants something. He has to keep his energy up though. Sometimes he gets kind of depressed about things. Does he take vitamins? He needs vitamin D.

NR — He doesn’t take vitamins.

WT — He matches the weather. He’ll feel better when he is taking vitamin D. He’s very funny though. I like him a lot. I think he’s a riot! And… he needs to eat better, he needs… there’s something with his diet that I’m like, “What in the world are you eating?” Like, you can do better than this, you’re a grown up stop acting like you’re 10. But he’s really cute. There’s something sensitive with his ears, he has sensitive ears. I think he’s adorable… I feel like you’re learning to balance yourself. It’s helpful if you meditate. Sometimes you need something to center you, you can get a little bit overwhelmed. And I feel like meditation is really, really helpful. But you also feel like you need to make some plans, like literally on paper for what you want to accomplish this year. I feel like you need to start sketching what you want your year to look like, because things are happening really quickly for you. You know that right? Did you ever act? Have you thought about doing anything with that again?

NR — Yes.

WT — It feels like you’re going to do something with that. You have a lot of talents in this area that you haven’t been working on. There’s all these different things going on, it feels like you need to sit down and, you’re not even just writing on a paper, you need something like a whiteboard, something you can look at and plan and organize the goals you have for this year. I feel like performing this year could be top of your list of things you want to add to your life. It brings you a lot of joy.

You’ve kind of put yourself in the backseat, which is funny, because you’re a Leo. (I am) And that’s not a Leo trait. But you kind of put yourself in the backseat. And it’s like this year, I’m going to put myself in the front seat. I’m going to do things where I can shine my light. I really like this for you. I feel like you’re putting together something to perform. There’s a lot of stuff towards the end of the year.

The end of the year feels more expansive, not that there’s anything wrong with where you are now. It just feels like you’re doing a lot more of the things that you want to be doing. You’re prioritizing your time better. And it starts around September. You kind of feel like you have to put yourself first, is what I’m being shown. Does this make sense? Isn’t it fun?

NR — [Overwhelmed ] Yes.

WT — You could be interviewing people more, doing documentary style. I don’t know if you’ve been writing something like that, but it feels like you could be putting something together in that way. That could be like a really big success. Like, very, very, like, you know, goosebumps successful. And I feel like there’s something with that coming up in the future in the next few years. Have you started putting that project together yet? Feels like you have?

NR — Yes, I have.

WT — What’s it called?

NR — It’s called [redacted].

WT — You’ll interview people and ask them about different things. You like to interact with people. You could find really quirky people and unique situations. I feel like you could sell this show. To Netflix. (Netflix exec if you’re reading this…) I feel like you know the right people. You can get in the door. You just need to reach out and say “I want to do this” and it’s gonna come together.

You’re also working more on your follow through, like getting things done in a timely way. You procrastinate but you almost feel like, “I’m not going to be that person anymore. I’m changing. I’m growing up. I’m going to finish this.” I’m telling you, I’ve got goosebumps about this stuff. You’re not going to just have one show, honey, you’re gonna have a few shows, I’m telling you, a few. Because there’s so much light, there’s so much energy coming in, that’s helping you, you’re being given opportunities that are unique and unusual. It’s like… it’s like having lucky stars on your shoulders. I don’t know how else to describe it. It’s like, you’re very lucky, you’re very blessed. So good, honey. I’m happy for you. I think eventually, you’ll probably be doing feature films. There’s a lot of stuff with feature films in the future with you. It’s really fun, your career is very interesting to me. It feels exciting. It feels like there’s a lot of different avenues that you can take. It’s not like you can take the wrong path. Just… you need to finish forming the ideas and then do it and then sell them or produce them.

You might start a production company. I almost feel like you’re doing it with one of your friends. Your career path is very like, starlet, and very open. Stop worrying so much! The key is to write it down and to follow through sweetheart. It’s almost like “I need to fully believe in myself and start it and finish it” and every time that you finish something you need to be like “I did a great job.” I’d say that to yourself. I think there’s been projects in the past where you have not completed them. Does it make sense? That’s what I’m being shown.

Well, that’s all we’ll do for today. Thank you for letting me read for you. Thank you for your light. Your beautiful heart. I now close the session. [Wendy closes her eyes] What belongs to you, belongs to you. What belongs to me, belongs to me. You are very blessed.

NR — You’re amazing. I was really nervous to do this.

WT — Really, oh, it’s so fun. You’ll want to do it all the time. Everyone says I feel so seen. I’ve never felt so seen in my life.

NR — I was nervous about finding out things. What was your first experience with the otherworld?

WT — I’ve always been intuitive. I always said I was a good guesser. Harmony’s friends would get in the car and I would know their birthdays or what sign they were. I would just know, but I never thought anything about psychic abilities too much.

Then I had my awakening in 2013. It was connected to my heart being broken into a million pieces. I was vibrating. I began that night to do deep trance channeling. It was very bizarre for me though. All of a sudden, I’m channeling. I was kind of like, what am I talking about? But I said to myself that if it was just my imagination, it’s okay, because I’ve made my living off my imagination. So I didn’t get myself stressed about it. I just accepted what was happening, I didn’t judge myself, which we tend to do.

When things like this happen, we get into a loop of criticizing ourselves. I was like, “I don’t know what this is,” but if it’s just my imagination, it’s okay. In the beginning I would touch someone’s hand to see stuff. Then COVID happened and I realized I didn’t have to touch their hand. Harmony was on tour and she was always asking me to read for her. “I would say I can’t, I need to touch your hand.” She’s like, “No, you don’t.” And she was right. So now, I read for people everywhere. I teach an intuition class because I believe you don’t have to have a full kundalini awakening to tap into these gifts. I always say there’s a field of information around everyone, and we’re all connected, and we all have the ability to tap into that oneness. I believe that’s our natural ability. If you were being chased by a wild animal in the jungle, and there was someone close by you would use your senses.

For me, my work is about compassion. I love people and I want to help people. I do my best to keep myself in that state of pure love for all beings as much as possible. Sometimes it can be a burden because you want to help so many people and you only have so much time but I think that we’re all intuitive. When I’m reading for someone, I will say I’m formless. I’m “you” now. That means I’m feeling what that person’s feeling. And what’s so healing about it is that someone doesn’t feel they have to carry [a painful situation] by themselves anymore. I’m kind of processing their pain with them.

NR — Are you able to do readings for yourself?

WT — Not in this state, the only time I’ve ever done readings for myself is in a deep trance state. I haven’t done those in years, because I’m reading all the time for people.

NR — What were you doing before this?

WT — I’m an artist and a writer. That’s what I was doing before everything changed. I was licensing my art around the world. I started in the greeting card industry when I was 24. I would write funny things and draw funny things. I loved it.

NR — That’s a little bit psychic, because you have to know what’s going to appeal to a broad number of people.

WT — Yes, it’s so true. I was very good at that. I had the number one love card for so many years.

NR — Most of the time when you’re reading for people, are they coming to you because something has happened and they want clarity or they’re just looking for direction.

WT — It’s very different. Every reading is different. I mean, look at what we just talked about, you know, I don’t think I’ve ever said to somebody “Who is your godmother?” I don’t think that’s ever come up in any reading.

NR — How do you protect your energy?

WT — I think that you have to have set your intention spiritually, to have a focal point of what is acceptable. I’m putting myself in a very vulnerable space in deep trance. I have very strong spiritual boundaries with what’s okay. I think you have to have a lot of integrity with yourself and with the energy of the world. I’m not going to perceive anything that’s not up to the light.

NR — That was amazing, Wendy. Thank you.

WT — You’re welcome, honey.

Purchase issue 21 here.

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.