Minotaur Wins 8-Minute Cannes Ovation as Zvyagintsev Returns With Putin-Era Russia Critique
Updated
Updated · Variety · May 19
Minotaur Wins 8-Minute Cannes Ovation as Zvyagintsev Returns With Putin-Era Russia Critique
5 articles · Updated · Variety · May 19
An eight-minute standing ovation greeted “Minotaur” at Cannes on Tuesday, marking Andrey Zvyagintsev’s first film premiere there in nearly a decade.
The film follows a businessman pressured to hand over employee lists for Russia’s war with Ukraine while his marriage unravels, framing a bleak portrait of corruption and deception in Putin-era Russia.
Latvia doubled for Russia during production because of the film’s scathing political critique, underscoring Zvyagintsev’s break with a country he said he has no intention of returning to live in.
Zvyagintsev said he spent almost a year recovering in a German clinic after a 40-day medically induced coma, making “Minotaur” both a political statement and a comeback.
That reception puts “Minotaur” among early Palme d’Or contenders alongside films from Paweł Pawlikowski, Cristian Mungiu and Ryusuke Hamaguchi.
In a world where Hollywood's power is fading, can this politically charged Russian film become the new model for international cinematic success?
After battling death, does Zvyagintsev's new film offer audiences a glimmer of hope, or just a more profound vision of despair?
As Zvyagintsev critiques Russia from exile, is his artistic vision sharpened by distance or is something essential lost by being away?