Kathryn Carlson Films

HIAS | To Start Another Life, Free

Role: Director, Editor

To be gay in Russia can mean violence, harassment, discrimination, imprisonment, and even death. In this Pride Month film, Ilia shares the fear and uncertainty that shaped his journey from Russia to the United States, the courage it took to escape, and what it has meant to finally build a life where he feels safe, accepted, and, in his words, “free.”

For World Refugee Day 2021, SideXSide partnered with HIAS to put a human face on the challenges LGBTQ refugees and asylum seekers endure—and to draw attention to the many countries where simply being LGBTQ remains punishable by law.

credits

Production Company: SideXSideStudios
Director: Gabriel Silverman
DOP: Kathryn Carlson
Producer: Deanna Del Ciello
Lead Editor: Kathryn Carlson
Editor: Liza Slutskaya