Director Zvyagintsev Urges Putin to End War at Cannes
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- Andrey Zvyagintsev sent a direct message to President Vladimir Putin via the Kremlin press secretary urging an end to the war in Ukraine, calling it “senseless” and a “massacre of young people.”
- Andrey Zvyagintsev delivered the plea while accepting the Grand Prix for his film Minotaur at the Cannes Film Festival on Saturday night.
- Dmitry Peskov rejected the request to convey Zvyagintsev’s anti‑war appeal, saying he would not do it and that the director “does not have the right” because he never condemned the alleged Donbas massacre.
- Andrey Zvyagintsev replied to Peskov, arguing that neither he nor “a hundred million Russian citizens” have a voice and that Putin has never heard their voices.
- Ukrainian commentators criticized Zvyagintsev’s appeal as continuing a tradition of pleading to the “tsar”, suggesting it equates Russian soldiers’ lives with Ukrainian civilians.
Why it matters: Zvyagintsev’s high‑profile plea amplifies dissent among Russian artists and highlights the Kremlin’s refusal to engage, potentially strengthening domestic opposition while drawing international attention to Russia’s internal opposition, which may increase pressure on Moscow.
