Film: “Firebird,” new indie directed by Peeter Robane

There are plenty of reasons to dislike Russia these days. Including one that seems to escape many folks’ attention: homophobia. After a brief liberalization in the 1990s, Putin turned back the clock and with his 2013 anti-“homosexual propaganda” law, among other subsequent referenda, made LGBTs into villains all over again.

In “Firebird,” set in 1970s pre-Glasnost Russia, homophobia is level-orange, particularly for those members of the Red Army. Sergei (Tom Prior), a closeted young private stationed in Russian-occupied Estonia, finds himself drawn to model-handsome Roman, a lieutenant (Oleg Zagarodnii) for whom he serves as chief of staff. They discover a shared love of photography, culture (including the ballet “Firebird”, hence the title of the movie)—and soon they’re way, way into each other.

One problem: in Soviet Russia, an article in the Russian military code stipulated that same-sex relationships were punishable by imprisonment. Sergei and Roman persist, however, and maintain their relationship anyway. This, despite the efforts of the evil homophobic major (Mart Kivastik) who smells a rat and threatens to expose them. (Apropos of nothing, the major bears an unfortunate resemblance to Lindsey Graham.)

Prior, who co-wrote and produced the script with director Peeter Robane, based the movie on the real-life love affair between Sergei and Roman. Oleg Zagarodnii, who plays Roman, couldn’t attend the film’s recent opening, Prior reports, because as a Ukrainian, he was busy fighting the Russians!

Beautifully shot (albeit with some cringeworthy throwbacks to “Brokeback Mountain),“Firebird” while set in the 1970s, seems more relevant than ever today—as bigotry is rearing its ugly head all over again. And, as we know, not just in Russia, either.