The Cold War-era film Firebird, based on Sergey Fetisov's memoir The Story of Roman, will have its North American premiere at Frameline in San Francisco this Sunday. And The Advocate has an exclusive clip from the film.
It's the first feature from Estonian director Peeter Rebane. The synopsis for the lush film is as follows:
"Firebird follows Estonian private Sergey (Tom Prior), who is awaiting the end of his term in the Soviet air force in the late 1970s when he falls for Roman, a daring fighter pilot played by Oleg Zagorodnii. Both a Cold War thriller and a true story of a secret love, Rebane's feature highlights the steamy passions of young gay romance in an environment where expressing such feelings is lethal. The pair soon realize that pursuing this clandestine affair -- and even openly declaring their love for each other -- means risking their safety, Roman's career in the Soviet air force, and their relationship with their most beloved friend from the academy, Luisa (Diana Pozharskaya)."
Prior and Rebane (who is gay and has directed videos for Moby and the Pet Shop Boys) cowrote the script.
"Firebird is a touching and personal film for me, having grown up in Soviet-occupied Estonia, near the air force base where this true story took place," Rebane said when the film played BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival earlier this year. I was deeply fascinated at how such a forbidden love triangle [between Roman, Sergey, and Luisa] formed in the Soviet air force at the height of the Cold War. How they risked everything, even their lives, in order to be together with the one you love."
In the clip below, tension of all kinds builds as Sergey and Roman hide in the woods from armed soldiers.
The film's North American premiere occurs this weekend at the Castro Theater. Rebane, Prior, and Zagorodnii will be in attendance. Purchase tickets here for the theatrical event. And buy tickets to stream Firebird here.
