Watch: "Spasibo" Short Film - Winner of Amnesty International Film Festival's Special Prize for Human Rights

Written and directed by Anaïs Sartini, the 15 minute short film Spasibo is a parable about censorship in Russia inspired by a real event in her own life. First, here's the official synopsis:

Clément, a French actor, goes to Saint Petersburg to participate in a film festival. When he gets there, he realizes he has disappeared: nobody can hear him and see him. He meets Andrei, a Russian gay who lives the same thing. 

Basically, homosexuals can only see each other. The rest of humanity is completely blind to their plight and ignores them. I am sure that homosexuals around the world understand this feeling all too well.

Sartini explains the real event that lead to this film:

In april 2012, our short-film Between Bodies has been censored by the Parisian Season’s Festival in Saint-Petersbourg, Russia. A law, which came into force the 17 March 2012, prohibits «the propaganda of homosexuality».

In reaction to the censoreship, we came to Saint Petersbourg to make SPASIBO. This short-film denounces the social invisibility who are reduced homosexuals in Russia. The film is marked by urgency and spontaneity in which it was made.

Anaïs Sartini took a huge risk and filmed this short entirely in Russia. The resulting short movie won her the Special Prize for Human Rights at the Amnesty International Film Festival 2012. Take a look!

It's pretty great.

**You can turn on English subtitles by hitting the CC button on the video player!