Under the Dress

As a child, Aleksandr Vinogradov had his grandmother as an accomplice. In her home, he could dress up as a woman, explore his desires and identities, seek out in himself what was absolutely forbidden by others. Today, in a country like Russia where people who do not practice heteronormative sexuality are pursued, Aleksandr delves into his childhood memories recorded on old VHS tapes, which take him back to the secret universe of freedom and tenderness that he shared with his grandmother. He then embarks upon a dazzling drag queen transformation in which he plays his own role: a character in search of his identity. Suspended in a performance between the real and the fantastic, Aleksandr confronts his ideas on sexuality, gender and his own past. Under the Dress is a form of self-portrait that combines the filmmaker’s memories with his present day in an oppressive political context. An exercise of mise en scène close to Werner Schroeter＇s, an ultra-contemporary form of demanding the legitimate right to any form of sexual identity.