Minotaur: A Russian-Language Story’s International Journey

Dragon Media News Desk

Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur links questions of war, conscription and moral compromise with a story about family and business. Reuters reported that the film won the Grand Prix at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and has been selected as France’s official entry in the international feature category at the 2027 Academy Awards.

The Russian-language film was produced in France. Zvyagintsev lives outside Russia, and Reuters reported that the film is unlikely to receive an official release there because of its subject matter. It is scheduled to open in French cinemas on October 14. Its path also illustrates how language and national identity can cross borders even when a filmmaker cannot readily work at home.

The film’s international release raises questions about the role of foreign production and distribution networks for filmmakers in exile. Rather than treating politics as a news report, Minotaur approaches it through characters’ choices and moral dilemmas.