It what might be considered one of those smart Cannes Film Festival competition pre-buys, Variety reports that the folks at MUBI have landed North America (plus other territories) rights to Andrey Zvyagintsev‘s highly anticipated Palme d’Or buzz title Minotaur – the comeback film from the Russian filmmaker who was so gravely ill that he was hospitalized for almost an entire year post pandemic. As we know, this project bypassed What Happens/Jupiter, and was written alongside Semen Liashenko. Production took place last September and he re-teamed with cinematographer Mikhail Krichman on what is being considered another piece of (music to our ears) bleak cinema.
The story of Gleb, a Russian business executive on the verge of laying off his employees, who discovers that his wife is having an affair. Coined as a political fable, this blends crime thriller and classical elements, exploring the emotional and moral collapse of a businessman under the strain of personal and political crises.
2007’s The Banishment, 2014’s Leviathan (read review) and 2017’s Loveless (read review) all premiered in the competition section, while 2011’s Elena (read review) was oddly included in the Un Certain Regard section – an awful decision on the part of Thierry Frémaux. His debut film, 2003’s The Return won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival – a remarkable feat.
