Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev, known for films such as Leviathan and Loveless, is set to return to the Cannes Film Festival after a nine-year absence, overcoming severe illness and exile. The 62-year-old filmmaker spent 11 months in hospital after contracting Covid-19, which left him with 90% lung damage and unable to move his limbs for several months. He learned of Russia's invasion of Ukraine while in this state, describing it as a shock that caused immense pain and deep despair.
Zvyagintsev has since recovered, relearning to walk and hold a spoon, and channelling his anguish into a new film. Titled Minotaur, it is an adaptation of Claude Chabrol's 1969 erotic thriller The Unfaithful Wife, set in a provincial Russian town. The story follows a business executive on the verge of laying off employees who discovers his wife is having an affair.
The film will premiere at Cannes, where Zvyagintsev previously won best screenplay and jury prizes but never the Palme d'Or. This year, he competes against directors such as Pedro Almodóvar, László Nemes and Asghar Farhadi. His return is seen as a major event, as many Russian artistic careers have been broken by the country's political direction.
Zvyagintsev's career began with acting, but he found success directing police dramas and soap operas before his 2003 debut The Return won the Golden Lion at Venice. His films often explore unpredictable male authority figures, with Leviathan (2014) and Loveless (2017) critiquing state and church power. Despite the defeatism of his characters, his work has been hailed as damning allegories of apathy under oppression.
