Queer Woman Version of Dostoyevki’s the Karamazovs
I received the following press release and wanted to boost signal. It’s a new film by a queer director with a gender-flipped queer female character. You might like it. It’s available in video on demand services ( I could not find out which ones…) as of June 3rd. Enjoy!
Here’s the synopsis:
The long-estranged Karamazov siblings return home to become reacquainted with both their dying father and each other. But when the unkind and spiteful patriarch is found murdered, they must finally face the truth about their family’s dark past … and each other. A fresh and modern reinterpretation of Dostoevsky’s literary classic from a female point of view.
Here’s the press release
At odds both philosophically and politically with the progressive movements of his time, revered Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky is now likely rolling in his St. Petersburg grave!
Launching on major VOD platforms beginning June 3, The Karmazovs is a not only a fresh and modern, female reinterpretation of the 1880 literary classic The Brothers Karamazov on film … But [gasp] a gay one too! What’s an existentialist to do?
Queer writer/director Anna Brenner, well established in the world of theater, makes her feature film debut, working with a primarily LGBTQ+ team, including two of the key cast members, Rami Margron (they/them) as Liz and MK Tuomanen (they/them) as Viv; cinematographer Tatyana Stopovskaya; and composer Jordan McCree.
In this award-winning film, the long-estranged Karamazov siblings return home to become reacquainted with both their dying father and each other. But when the unkind and spiteful patriarch is found murdered, they must finally face the truth about their family’s dark past … and each other.
Says Brenner about her re-interpretation of the seminal literary work, “In terms of sexuality and gender, I felt that if I’m making my own personal adaptation of this novel, I was going to reclaim the narrative and the story was going to represent me and my community. The novel was entirely male and white and that just seemed completely arcane. The issues remain the same—queerness, gender and race can’t be ignored by a white, patriarchal and misogynistic power structure.
“I made the character of Viv (Ivan in the novel) queer,” she continues, “but she’s living in a don’t/ask don’t tell situation. Things are unspoken and seem to be more-or-less accepted, but it’s hugely emotional and psychologically damaging when issues are not openly discussed and we cannot be our authentic selves.”
The Deets
The Karamazovs
Video on Demand Release Date: June 3, 2025
Genre: Drama, Suspense, LGBTQ+
Not Rated
Production Year: 2024
Language: English
Production Country: U.S.
Runtime: 126 Minutes
Aspect Ratio: 16:9