Russian Director Andrey Zvyagintsev Returns to Cannes Film Festival After Near-Fatal Illness

By AFP May 19, 2026

Two-time Oscar nominee Andrey Zvyagintsev will make his highly anticipated return to the Cannes Film Festival on Tuesday, premiering his first feature film in nine years after a near-death experience during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Zvyagintsev, director of the acclaimed films "Leviathan" and "Loveless," was left in a coma and unable to walk for a year after an extreme reaction to Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in 2021.

After treatment in Europe, where he now lives in exile, the 62-year-old began work on "Minotaur," which is running in the main competition at Cannes.

"The pandemic really hit me hard. I was bedridden. I couldn’t move my hands. I couldn’t move my legs," he told The Hollywood Reporter ahead of the premiere at Cannes. 

Zvyagintsev said that the experience of a coma and living in a wheelchair had convinced him that he needed "to live in the fast lane."

All of the director's previous films, including "Elena," "Leviathan" and "Loveless," have won prizes at Cannes, with the portrait of corruption and state control under Russian President Vladimir Putin in "Leviathan" causing problems at home but cementing his reputation abroad.

His latest feature, "Minotaur," is an adaptation of French director Claude Chabrol's 1969 erotic thriller "The Unfaithful Wife" and will be a strong contender for the festival's top film prize.

The film is focused on the Russian elite after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and is likely to be another trademark portrait of moral failure and vice in contemporary Russia.

A total of 22 films are competing for the prestigious Palme d'Or for best film, which will be handed out on Saturday.

Read more about: Film

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribe Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription.

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today?
Remind me later. ×

Remind me next month