Ukraine War: Cannes-winning Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev calls on Vladimir Putin to end the 'carnage'

Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev, recipient of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for his film "Minotaur," has directly appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to cease the "carnage" in Ukraine. Speaking in Russian through an interpreter, Zvyagintsev stated, "Millions of people on both sides of the front line dream of only one thing: that the massacres stop."

“

Millions of people on both sides of the front line dream of only one thing: that the massacres stop.

Living in exile in France, Zvyagintsev voiced skepticism about his film ever being officially screened in Russia due to its anti-war message. However, he expressed confidence that "Minotaur" would still reach Russian audiences through widespread piracy. "But in Russia, the piracy industry is in full swing, so everyone who wishes to see it will certainly see it," he said.

"The only person who can put an end to this butchery is the president of the Russian Federation. End this carnage, the whole world is waiting for this," Zvyagintsev pleaded. "Minotaur" centers on a Russian bourgeois couple experiencing marital crisis against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine. The film portrays the decay of Russian society, where political and economic elites arrange for the least productive citizens to be sent to the front.

“

But in Russia, the piracy industry is in full swing, so everyone who wishes to see it will certainly see it.

Filmed in Latvia, "Minotaur" is Zvyagintsev's first feature not shot in Russia. He is recognized as a prominent figure in independent Russian cinema. The film is a remake of Claude Chabrol's 1969 film "La Femme Infidèle" and explores the moral and social consequences of war through an intimate story.

“

The only person who can put an end to this butchery is the president of the Russian Federation. End this carnage, the whole world is waiting for this.