Documentary about Ukraine's Queer Community

We’ve Just Entered Post-Production – Help Us Finish TO DANCE IS TO RESIST!

Now, more than ever, we need your support to bring this project to completion. With your help, we can finalize the film and share this powerful story of love, hope, and resistance with the world by spring 2025.

We’ve just entered the post-production phase of our feature-length documentary film and have begun the editing process in Kyiv. Your contribution will ensure we can complete this journey and give the LGBTQI+ community in Kyiv the global platform it deserves. Every contribution, no matter the size, brings us closer to the finish line.

TO DANCE IS TO RESIST is an intimate documentary that delves into the vibrant but often unseen world of Kyiv's underground artist scene through the lives of two remarkable protagonists, Jay and Vol'demar, a queer couple who are professional dancers. The film sets their struggles, triumphs, and identity exploration against the backdrop of Ukraine's complex socio-political landscape, marked by homophobia, mental health challenges stemming from war trauma, and the quest for integration and acceptance.

Estimated Run Time: 79-85 minutes

Who Are Jay and Vol’demar?

Jay

Jay is a dynamic Ukrainian performer, dancer, actor, and model based in Kyiv. With a career that began in choreography and expanded to include over 50 music videos, Jay now performs with Freedom Ballet and leads the visual department at UkrainePride. Together with Vol’demar, they co-founded the XXX performance and Community Motion studio, creating a unique artistic family deeply integrated into Kyiv’s queer and rave scenes. Jay's artistic endeavors are a testament to the resilience and vibrancy of Ukraine's LGBTQI+ community.

Vol’demar Kabus

Born in Svetlodarck, Donetsk oblast, Vol’demar is a professional dancer, stylist, and performer with extensive experience in dance battles and stage performances. As a movement director and physical coach, Vol’demar aims to reintegrate waacking into club culture and promote Ukrainian queer art. Alongside Jay, he uses his art to challenge norms, navigate socio-political complexities, and foster acceptance within and beyond Ukraine.

Why Share Their Story?

In a country where LGBTQI+ rights remain precarious, with no legal recognition for same-sex partnerships and limited protections against discrimination, Jay and Vol’demar’s lives as queer artists in Kyiv’s underground scene are a testament to resilience, creativity, and the unique power of community. Their art and activism unfold in a city shaped by the remnants of a socialist society, where collective experiences and interdependence are woven into the fabric of daily life. Amidst the chaos of war and systemic challenges, Kyiv’s underground serves as both a sanctuary and a crucible—a Gotham-like world of contradictions, where beauty, resistance, and survival intertwine.

Vol’demar’s description of Kyiv as an overwhelming reality that “knocks you off your feet” speaks to the raw intensity of life in a city grappling with war trauma and social change. It’s a place where the bonds of community become lifelines, offering solace and strength in the face of adversity. For Jay, this community is salvation—the friends who care, the troupe that travels and creates together, the shared commitment to art that binds them as a chosen family.

Through their story, TO DANCE IS TO RESIST sheds light on the struggles and triumphs of Kyiv’s LGBTQI+ community, illustrating how shared creativity and mutual care forge resilience against systemic oppression. It invites viewers to witness the transformative power of art and human connection in a world where even survival becomes an act of defiance. By showcasing the unyielding spirit of Jay, Vol’demar, and their chosen family, the film calls for empathy, understanding, and a reimagining of what it means to resist.

Financial Need

In documentary filmmaking, it is common to speak of a low budget if 1 minute of the final film equals 1,000 € in production costs. With a primary goal of 28,500 €, we need your support to cover essential production and post-production costs as our calculations are orientated on the bare minimum for now. Your contributions will help us complete the filming in Kyiv, ensuring that the funds support the local creative industry. Also we plan to start with the post-production throughout the winter this year, with the goal of preparing the film for festivals in 2025. Most of the post-production will take place in Kyiv so that the collected money flows back into the creative industry in Ukraine. Exceeding our goal will allow us to invest in post-production, licensing, and festival entry fees.

Primary Goal: 28,500 € produces a finished film

Stretch Goal: 36,000 € produces our dream film

What Your Investment Will Support:

Distribution

Our mission is to give the LGBTQI+ community in Kyiv and the critical issues they face the global platform they deserve. To achieve this, we plan to submit TO DANCE IS TO RESIST to film festivals such as Berlinale, Sundance, and Tribeca Film Festival, as well as smaller festivals focused on queer and human rights-related documentaries.

After the festival circuit, we aim to secure broader distribution through cinema distribution and streaming platforms, ensuring the film reaches a wide and diverse audience. Eventually, it will be available for rental and purchase on Vimeo or a similar platform, making this important story accessible to viewers worldwide.

The Team You’re Backing

Julian Lautenbacher

Director and producer Julian Lautenbacher is a German artist based between Kyiv and Berlin. Since moving to Kyiv in 2021, Julian has been dedicated to this project, despite the challenges posed by the ongoing war. He has traveled to Kyiv multiple times to document the vibrant underground scene and capture the essence of artistic resistance. Julian's work spans film, photography, sound design, and music, focusing on deconstructing social structures, intimacy, and human interaction across cultures. His unique perspective and commitment to this documentary have been instrumental in bringing the story to life. Julian is also a founding member of the artist collective Progressive Movement, known for their political focus and exploration of LGBTQI+ rights and the current situation in Ukraine.

(www.julian-lautenbacher.com)

Ganna Garbuz

Ganna Garbuz is a Kyiv-based cinematographer and video editor with extensive experience in documentary filmmaking. She has worked on a range of notable projects, including the Kyiv Modern Ballet documentaries 1984. Insha, The Little Prince, and The Queen of Spades, supported by the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation, as well as The Wall, a documentary about the creation of a one-act ballet, where she combined her skills in cinematography, editing, and color correction.

As the second DOP and editor for TO DANCE IS TO RESIST, Ganna brings not only her technical expertise but also a deep connection to Kyiv’s queer community. This connection informs her understanding of the film’s subjects and themes, adding authenticity and sensitivity to the storytelling. Her role is integral to shaping the visual and narrative elements of the documentary, highlighting the resilience and creativity of its protagonists.

Asa Fox

Asa Fox is a freelance colorist with a strong background in the film industry, having worked at The Mill and Deluxe/Company 3. His projects include Showdown At The Grand, which earned a nomination for the Filmlight Color Awards spotlight award, as was Unidentified Objects, a philosophical queer comedy that premiered at Outfest and was nominated for the spotlight award as well. In addition to collaborating on mainstream features with Hollywood icons like Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman, and Al Pacino, Asa remains connected to the underground music and film scenes through projects like Boy Harsher’s The Runner.

Asa is actively involved in the community surrounding TO DANCE IS TO RESIST in Kyiv and brings a close understanding of its themes to the project. His connection to the film’s subject matter adds a layer of authenticity and sensitivity to his work, making him an invaluable collaborator.

Elin Laut

Elin Laut serves as the outside eye on TO DANCE IS TO RESIST. Elin is a trans artist based in Berlin, focusing on themes of queerness and trans identity in the areas of costume, video, performance and installation. His works have been shown in various art spaces in Berlin, including the Maxim Gorki Theatre, Radialsystem, DISPLAY, Scherben, and Sonntagsclub. Elin is a masters graduate of the University of the Arts Berlin and co-founder of the critical.costume initiative.

As the director’s brother, their creative connection is rooted in their shared upbringing and years of collaboration. This close bond brings a special understanding of each other’s artistic vision.

(https://elin-laut.com/)

Progressive Movement

Progressive Movement is a collective of artists based between Kyiv and Berlin, playing a crucial role in the production and management of this documentary. They are dedicated to addressing political issues such as LGBTQI+ rights and the current situation in Ukraine. Progressive Movement has previously released a political short film about the Ukraine war and continues to manage much of the production for TO DANCE IS TO RESIST. Their commitment to political activism and artistic expression provides a strong foundation for the documentary’s development and outreach.

(https://linktr.ee/progressivemovement)

Risks & Challenges

Our team is committed to completing TO DANCE IS TO RESIST despite any challenges. If we do not meet our funding goals, we will adjust our approach to produce the best film possible with the available resources. This may involve the film's creators forfeiting professional fees and reimbursement for production costs. Your support ensures that we can fairly compensate the talented creatives involved and produce the highest quality film possible.

How You Can Help

Even if a financial contribution is not possible for you right now, you can still help us by sharing our campaign link on social media or inviting friends to support our project. Every share and contribution, no matter the size, makes a difference in bringing this important story to a wider audience.

Join Us in Telling This Powerful Story

Your support fuels the creative ambitions of artists who share a deep passion for art and social change. Help us showcase the resilience and creativity of Kyiv’s queer community through TO DANCE IS TO RESIST.

https://todanceistoresist.com/

No raffles, sweepstakes, giveaways, or returns on investment are offered in exchange for any donations made to this GoFundMe.