Queer cinema emerges in AzerbaijanCEFR B1
4 Dec 2025
Adapted from Adila Aghayeva, Global Voices • CC BY 3.0
Photo by Zulfugar Karimov, Unsplash
Reports document frequent violations of LGBTQI+ rights, growing hate speech by state officials, and systemic marginalisation that reaches arts and cinema. Azerbaijani mainstream films have long shown queer people as caricature; the first homosexual character appeared in 2014 in My Name is Intigam by Emin Abdullayev. International queer cinema is largely absent from local screens.
A new wave of modest but radical short films and documentaries now responds to this silence. Filmmakers include local trans and non-binary authors, graduates of the Azerbaijan State University of Culture and Arts, and some foreign directors. Examples include All Monsters Are Human, which documents Roma, Lady Cat and Lisa, and reconstructs the memory of Kristina.
Other local works include Sebastian (2017), films by Vusala Hajiyeva, Miray Deniz’s Queer Destiny: Avaz Hafizli, and Mehriban Karimova’s Home Within. QueerRadar found that between 2013 and 2023 at least 15 LGBTQI+ people were attacked and 12 were killed, figures that are likely underreported.
Difficult words
- marginalisation — process of pushing a group outside social life
- caricature — an exaggerated or silly description of a person
- mainstream — accepted by most people and by media
- documentaries — a film that shows real people and real events
- hate speech — words that attack or show hatred to groups
- underreported — to report a number lower than the truth
- queer — relating to sexual or gender minorities and identities
Tip: hover, focus or tap highlighted words in the article to see quick definitions while you read or listen.
Discussion questions
- Why might international queer cinema be largely absent from local screens in Azerbaijan?
- How can short films and documentaries help change the representation of queer people?
- What risks do filmmakers and LGBTQI+ people face, based on the article?
Related articles
Belarus opens legal case against comedian Vyacheslav Komissarenko
The Investigative Committee of Belarus has opened special proceedings against comedian Vyacheslav Komissarenko for defamation and insult of President Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Komissarenko lives abroad and has faced visa refusals before obtaining a U.S. talent visa.
When Basic Needs Fail: How Local Shocks Become Wider Emergencies
From close experience in Turkey, the author shows how shortages in food, health and services turn into medical and social crises. Simple support like school meals, cash and cross‑city cooperation can reduce risks and costs.
