Andrey Zvyagintsev’s latest feature, Minotaur, has premiered at the Cannes Film Festival.
The film secured second place in the prestigious Screen international critics’ poll, earning a commendable 3.2 rating. It currently trails Pawel Pawlikowski’s Fatherland, while Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s Our Village holds the third spot.
Minotaur marks Zvyagintsev’s first directorial effort in nine years. His previous drama, Loveless, was also showcased in the Cannes main competition, where it was honored with the Jury Prize. The director expressed his profound gratitude for the opportunity to return to the festival after such a prolonged hiatus.
Drawing inspiration from Claude Chabrol’s La Femme infidèle, the narrative follows the protagonist, Gleb (Dmitry Mazurov), whose discovery of his wife Galina’s (Iris Lebedeva) infidelity sets off a tragic chain of events. Zvyagintsev noted that he sought to adapt the story for a Russian setting, infusing it with the poignant context of 2022.
“This film was crafted in Russian—it is my native element. It was essential that our first project back focus on Russia, capturing the current climate in our mother tongue. Beyond the necessity of documenting the era and expressing our perspectives on unfolding events, it served as a pivotal moment. I anticipate future projects in English and French, but this was a vital opportunity to address what matters most. Speaking through the language of art is a true privilege,”
— the director remarked during the Cannes press conference.
Photo: Getty