Andrey Zvyagintsev branded a 'spy' in Russia, report says on 18th

Power tightens its grip on art as master director is branded a 'foreign agent'

The Russian government has effectively branded filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev a 'spy' for his critical portrayal of the devastation caused by the war in Ukraine.

Russia's Justice Ministry officially added Zvyagintsev to its 'foreign agent' registry on the 18th, according to RIA Novosti and other major news outlets.

The designation is a repressive measure used against people who receive funding from abroad and engage in activities deemed anti-Russian. It carries a meaning similar to 'spy' and has been used primarily as a stigma to silence opposition figures and government critics and impose social penalties on them.

The measure will subject Zvyagintsev to severe restrictions on earning income in Russia. Reuters also reported that all social media posts and other publications he releases in the future must carry an explicit 'foreign agent' label.

Zvyagintsev is exposing the true face of power in his latest film, 'Jupiter,' set against Russia's invasion of Ukraine. (Editor's note: 'Minotaur,' previously reported as a winning film at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, was corrected after it was confirmed that the plot in question actually belongs to the new film 'Jupiter.') Set in Russia in 2022, the film follows the downfall of a ruthless, powerful CEO as war engulfs the country. It tightly weaves together, in a drama-thriller format, the pressure on the CEO as he is forced to mobilize manpower for the war and the psychological collapse of a husband who discovers his wife's infidelity.

His sharp critical eye has also defined his earlier work. In 2014, he won the Best Screenplay award at the Cannes Film Festival for 'Leviathan,' a stark dissection of corruption in Russia's bureaucracy. The following year, he won the Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film, cementing his status as a master of world cinema.

Then, in 2017, he further demonstrated his singular artistry by winning the Cannes Film Festival Jury Prize for 'Loveless,' a portrait of Russia's profound social anguish and moral collapse.