Cannes Grand Prix winner 'Minotaur' opens in German theaters Nov. 5
Andrey Zvyagintsev's drama about a businessman in provincial Russia during the war year 2022 reaches German cinemas via MUBI. It is already playing in France.
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'Minotaur' by Russian director Andrey Zvyagintsev opens nationwide in German theaters on Nov. 5, 2026, distributor MUBI said. The film premiered in May at the 79th Cannes Film Festival, where it won the Grand Prix, the runner-up prize to the Palme d'Or, which went to Cristian Mungiu's 'Fjord.' 'Minotaur' has been playing in France since Sept. 30, and the festival published a profile of the film on Oct. 14.
The story is set in a small town in 2022, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine: businessman Gleb (Dmitry Mazurov) loses employees to the military draft as his marriage falls apart. When he discovers his wife Galina's (Iris Lebedeva) infidelity, he turns violent, a storyline inspired by Claude Chabrol's 'La Femme infidèle'. The film runs 141 minutes; Razor Film is the German co-producer, and the German premiere was held at Filmfest Hamburg.
According to AFP, it is Zvyagintsev's first film in nine years. The director, who the agency says lives in exile in France, used the Cannes awards ceremony to urge President Vladimir Putin to stop the bloodshed: "put a stop to this carnage, the whole world is waiting for this," he said. He said he did not expect the film to be released in Russia. The 80th Cannes Film Festival is scheduled for May 11–22, 2027.