Russian director Zvyagintsev wins Cannes Grand Prix, demands Putin end the war

Exiled Russian filmmaker Andrei Zvyagintsev won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival for his film 'Minotaurus'. In his acceptance speech, he addressed Vladimir Putin directly with a public demand. The top Palme d'Or prize went to Cristian Mungiu's 'Fjord'.

Andrei Zvyagintsev, one of Russia's most celebrated filmmakers who left his home country in 2023, has won the Grand Prix — the second-highest award — at the Cannes Film Festival for his film 'Minotaurus'. The moment quickly became one of the most talked-about of the festival.

In his acceptance speech on the Cannes stage, Zvyagintsev turned his words directly toward Russian President [Vladimir Putin](/politicians/vladimir-putin), issuing a public demand. The exact nature of the demand, made in the glare of the international press and film world, underscored the growing voice of exiled Russian artists using global platforms to speak out against the Kremlin.

Zvyagintsev is widely regarded as one of the finest directors Russia has produced in recent decades, known internationally for films such as 'Leviathan' and 'Loveless', both of which received Academy Award nominations. His departure from Russia in 2023 placed him among a wave of cultural figures who left following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

The festival's top honour, the Palme d'Or, went to Romanian director Cristian Mungiu for his film 'Fjord', continuing the Cannes tradition of recognising bold European cinema on the world stage.