Andrei Zvyagintsev releases Minotaurus, a Russian anti-war film

Russian filmmaker Andrei Zvyagintsev has released his first film in nine years, titled “Minotaurus”. Filmed in exile in France and set in Latvia, the thriller serves as a critique of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The story follows Gleb, a logistics businessman living a luxurious life with his wife, Galina, and their son. The narrative explores the breakdown of his family stability due to suspicion of infidelity and the external pressures of the war. A central conflict arises when a local mayor demands that Gleb, like other entrepreneurs, designate 14 employees to be sent to the front lines to support Vladimir Putin’s military efforts.

The film depicts the atmosphere of the 2022 partial mobilization in Russia, where employees resigned from companies to avoid being conscripted. Zvyagintsev, who has lived in exile following a severe bout of Covid, describes the invasion as both a humanitarian catastrophe for Ukraine and a civilizational disaster for Russia.