A French comedy tackling Russian homophobia through the story of a visiting gay water polo team receives its Scottish premiere in Edinburgh next month – even as members of its cast and crew are under fire in Ukraine, where the film was made.

Directed by Cedric Le Gallo and Maxime Govare, The Shiny Shrimps Strike Back is a sequel to hit 2019 film The Shiny Shrimps, the true story of a Paris water polo team. But while the first film was set in France, here the team members have become stranded in Russia on their way to the Gay Games in Tokyo.

“Shooting in Russia was impossible because of the law that prohibits LGBT propaganda,” says Govare. “Filming two men kissing in the street would have landed us all in jail.”

Instead, Ukraine doubled for Russia, allowing the co-directors to shine a light on a country where violence against homosexuals is frequent without the risk of being intimidated themselves.

The Herald:

A scene from The Shiny Shrimps Strike Back

“We had fun putting homosexuals in the country of homophobes, but the film, between adventure comedy and musical comedy, intends to strike a wider target,” says Le Gallo. “[It] tells how Putin oppresses the LGBT community. Today, Putin oppresses the whole world, so that particularly resonates.”

The pair had planned to screen the film in Ukraine, a dream which now seems impossible even in the medium term. Moreover, actors and crew members are themselves now caught up in the fighting. One of the film’s actresses was forced to shelter in a metro station in Kharkiv to avoid Russian shelling, some have taken up arms and others have followed millions of their compatriots and fled to western Europe.

The Shiny Shrimps Strike Back screens at Summerhall Cinema, Edinburgh on May 8 as part of the Screen Horizons strand of the French Film Festival UK.