The documentary play Familiar Stranger by the Samara-Togliatti Feminist Group is based on four real stories of domestic violence.
Familiar Stranger is an open project exploring the issues of social exclusion, discrimination and violence against women. The goal of the project is to raise awareness of issues that Russian society tends to neglect and keep outside of the public realm. Members of the group will share their own stories—and retell real stories they have heard from other women who have suffered from domestic violence and discrimination based on their appearance or gender identity. They will also discuss social and medical issues relating to sexual identity.
Familiar Stranger is an ongoing project, consisting of a series of evolving shows, and open to contributions from any person willing to share their story in the first person or anonymously.
It has previously been shown at Eve’s Ribs documentary festival, exploring the issues of violence and discrimination against women (Saint Petersburg, 2016) and MediaUdar. Moscow—5 international festival of art and activism.
The new show in series, If It Wasn’t for You is focused on the problem of domestic violence and will be staged at Garage during the Triennial for the first time.