Andrey Zvyagintsev Calls on Putin at Cannes Grand Prix
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- Andrey Zvyagintsev won the Cannes Grand Prix for “Minotaur” and used his acceptance speech to urge President Vladimir Putin to end the war.
- Minotaur is a French‑German‑Latvian co‑production, Zvyagintsev’s first feature in almost a decade, set in Russia in 2022.
- Vladimir Putin was indirectly addressed in the speech, with Zvyagintsev pleading for an end to the carnage.
- Guy Lodge of Variety called the film a domestic thriller and a state‑of‑the‑nation takedown that exposes Putin’s principles of entitlement, intimidation and denial.
- Sydney Film Festival will screen “Minotaur” for its Australian premiere on June 12, where it is also in competition.
Why it matters: Zvyagintsev's public plea puts direct pressure on Putin, amplifying global calls to halt the war while boosting the film's visibility as a political critique and influences public opinion in Europe and beyond.
