In this compelling drama by Andrey Zvyagintsev, successful Russian businessman Gleb appears to have everything going for him. Along with his wife Galina and teenage son Seryozha, he lives in a large glass villa on the outskirts of a provincial town. When Russia invades Ukraine in 2022, the reality of the war increasingly intrudes into his daily life: employees flee abroad, and Gleb’s company is forced to participate in the mobilisation effort. His business comes under pressure as social unrest grows. When he discovers that his wife is having an affair, he gradually begins to lose his grip on reality.
Caught between political pressure, business interests and personal humiliation, Gleb struggles to maintain control over his life. This leads to an increasingly escalating confrontation with himself and those around him, as the boundaries between political reality and his private life begin to blur.With Minotaur, Russian master filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev returned to the main competition at Cannes after almost ten years, where the film won the Grand Prix. It was enthusiastically received by the international film press, with particular praise for the work of longtime cinematographer Mikhail Krichman and the powerful performances by lead actors Dmitriy Mazurov and Iris Lebedeva. The screenplay is based on Claude Chabrol’s La Femme Infidèle (1969), while the haunting score was composed by Evgueni and Sacha Galperine.
Drawing on the mythological references to the Minotaur, Zvyagintsev delivers a gripping thriller about guilt, choices and human vulnerability.