
Welcome to Chechnya
Inside the Russian Republic's deadly war on gays
Directed by David France
Produced by HBO Documentary Films, Public Square Films
A harrowing, intimate documentary that follows LGBTQ activists risking their lives to expose systematic persecution in Chechnya, balancing dark subject matter with profound human courage.
This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ program raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a remarkable approach to protecting anonymity exposes this under-reported atrocity–and an extraordinary group of people confronting evil.
Questions people ask
Is Welcome to Chechnya sad? Yes, very. More sad than 96% of films.
Is Welcome to Chechnya easy watching? Barely. Less comforting than 86% of films.
Is Welcome to Chechnya scary? Somewhat. More frightening than 61% of films.
Is Welcome to Chechnya violent? Somewhat. More violent than 59% of films.
Does Welcome to Chechnya end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.
These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.
Cinnamon Score
How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.
Familiar shape, done well.
How unlike any other film this one feels
How much more it delivers than it promises
How much audiences actually like it
Ensemble
Like Welcome to Chechnya
Nearest across the full emotional profile.
Same Mood as Welcome to Chechnya
Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.
Like Welcome to Chechnya, But Darker
Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.
Like Welcome to Chechnya, But Lighter
Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.
Like Welcome to Chechnya, But Less Popular
Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.




















































