Andrei Zvyagintsev‘s drama Minotaur has been chosen by France as its official Oscar entry for Best International Feature, Variety reported.
The French selection committee made the decision after meetings with producers, international sales agents and distributors of five shortlisted titles.
Other contenders included Antonin Bodi’s two‑part historical epic De Gaulle, Arthur Harari’s thriller The Unknown, Marin Atlant’s drama Gradiva and Louis Klich’s animated film Iron Boy.
The Russian‑language film, which won the Grand Prix at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, qualified for France’s submission thanks to co‑production with CG Cinéma (Charles Gillibert) and MK Productions.
The story follows a provincial entrepreneur who discovers his wife’s infidelity during the partial mobilization of 2023, touching on corruption and domestic violence.
Funding rumors linked the project to patron‑collector Inna Bazhenova and billionaire Leonard Blavatnik, while the cast features Dmitry Mazurov, Varvara Shmykova and Iris Lebedeva.
After its Cannes screening, the audience gave a ten‑minute standing ovation and critics called it one of the director’s strongest works.
The worldwide release is set for November 20, but the film will not be shown in Russian cinemas.
Following the Cannes award, the director addressed President Vladimir Putin in Russian, urging an end to the “meat grinder” in Ukraine; the plea sparked debate and prompted a response from press secretary Dmitry Peskov, who said the filmmaker lacks moral authority to comment.
Zvyagintsev, a two‑time Oscar nominee for Leviathan and Loveless, survived a severe COVID‑19 infection in 2021 and has lived in France since criticizing the Russian authorities after the 2022 special operation.
