--- title: "Filmmaker Zvyagintsev's new film addresses Putin's war in Ukraine" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/filmmaker-zvyagintsevs-new-film-addresses-putins-war-in-ukraine" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/filmmaker-zvyagintsevs-new-film-addresses-putins-war-in-ukraine" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/filmmaker-zvyagintsevs-new-film-addresses-putins-war-in-ukraine.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/filmmaker-zvyagintsevs-new-film-addresses-putins-war-in-ukraine" category: "Politics" area: "Russia" published: "2026-10-03T15:05:12.528Z" source_reported: "2026-10-03T14:29:00.000Z" updated: "2026-10-03T15:05:12.528Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 59 hype_score: 20 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-10-03T16:00:10.328750+00:00" --- # Filmmaker Zvyagintsev's new film addresses Putin's war in Ukraine *Andrey Zvyagintsev's 'Minotaur' is an Oscar entry and won the Grand Prix at Cannes.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to the director and Reuters, with a document cited from the Levada Center. - Craft 59 of 100, higher is better. The report includes quotes from the director and details about the film's plot and themes. - Hype 20 of 100, lower is better. The language used in headlines and digests is measured and proportionate to the story's content. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Exiled Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev's new film, 'Minotaur,' addresses Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. - The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and is an entry for the 2027 Oscar for best international film. - The story follows Gleb, a logistics company owner who is pressured to identify employees for military service but instead recruits new drivers for the war. - Zvyagintsev, who left Russia in 2021, was designated a 'foreign agent' by Russia in August. Exiled Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev has released a new film titled "Minotaur" that addresses Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. The film, which won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, is an entry for the 2027 Oscar for best international film. Zvyagintsev left Russia in 2021 and has not returned. In August, Russia designated him a "foreign agent." The narrative of "Minotaur" centres on Gleb, the owner of a logistics company. He faces pressure from the local mayor to identify 14 employees for military service. Unwilling to send his current workers to the front, Gleb recruits new drivers with promises of high salaries, only to dispatch them to the war. Zvyagintsev stated that as a director who speaks only Russian and was born in Russia, he could not avoid addressing the war, which he described as the most important event of recent years. The film, produced in France, is in Russian but is unlikely to be officially released in Russia due to its subject matter. Zvyagintsev commented that propaganda is a crude instrument, while art deals with subtleties and works over the long term. The film was originally conceived as a remake of Claude Chabrol's "La Femme Infidele." However, the project transformed when Russia's invasion of Ukraine occurred. The setting shifted from suburban Paris to a bleak Russian town, and the domestic tensions of the original story were recontextualised against the backdrop of war. ## Disagreement on film's release date The Star Kuala Lumpur reported that "Minotaur" opens in French cinemas on October 14. Other reports did not specify a release date for French cinemas. ## What the coverage left out None of the centre-rated or right-rated reports mentioned that the film was originally intended to be a remake of Claude Chabrol's "La Femme Infidele" before being transformed by the invasion of Ukraine. ## Who covered it Shares of the 10 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 0% (0) - Centre: 40% (4) - Right: 60% (6) 2 of 12 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-10-03T16:00:10.328750+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 8 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-10-03T17:00:08.940Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left No separate framing summary. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports led with the film's focus on the war in Ukraine and its Oscar bid. They highlighted that "Minotaur" is a drama about conscription and moral compromise, released nearly five years after Russia's full-scale invasion. These reports noted Zvyagintsev's exile from Russia since 2021 and his designation as a "foreign agent." ### Right - Right-rated reports also led with the film's focus on the war in Ukraine and its Oscar bid. They stated that exiled Russian filmmaker Andrey Zvyagintsev "takes aim at Putin's war in Oscar bid." These reports mentioned the film's win of the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival and its status as an entry for the 2027 Oscar for best international film. The narrative centres on Gleb, who is pressured to identify employees for military service and instead recruits new drivers for the war. **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 7 - unknown: 2 - veryHigh: 1 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [Reuters](http://rmb.reuters.com/rmd/rss/item/tag:reuters.com,2026:newsml_KBN3VJ0DU?channel=BEQ259) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin's war in Oscar bid - [Investing.com](https://investing.com/news/world-news/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid-4930855) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [The Star Kuala Lumpur](https://thestar.com.my/news/world/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putin039s-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin's war in Oscar bid - [The Straits Times](https://straitstimes.com/world/europe/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin's war in Oscar bid - [WTVB](https://wtvbam.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [The Mighty 790 KFGO](https://kfgo.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [WKZO](https://wkzo.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [WTAQ](https://wtaq.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [KELO Newstalk 1320 107.9](https://kelo.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [WSAU](https://wsau.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [WIN 98.5](https://wincountry.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid - [whtc.com](https://whtc.com/2026/10/03/exiled-russian-filmmaker-zvyagintsev-takes-aim-at-putins-war-in-oscar-bid) — Exiled Russian filmmaker Zvyagintsev takes aim at Putin’s war in Oscar bid ## Questions **What is Andrey Zvyagintsev's new film about?** Andrey Zvyagintsev's new film, 'Minotaur,' addresses Vladimir Putin's war in Ukraine. It is a drama about conscription and moral compromise, focusing on a logistics company owner pressured to send employees to the war. **What awards has 'Minotaur' received?** 'Minotaur' won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival. It has also been submitted as an entry for the 2027 Oscar for best international film. **Has Zvyagintsev faced repercussions in Russia?** Yes, Andrey Zvyagintsev left Russia in 2021 and has not returned. In August, the Russian government designated him a 'foreign agent,' a label applied to individuals accused of carrying out anti-Russian activities with foreign support. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/filmmaker-zvyagintsevs-new-film-addresses-putins-war-in-ukraine. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Filmmaker Zvyagintsev's new film addresses Putin's war in Ukraine", https://mediabias.news/politics/filmmaker-zvyagintsevs-new-film-addresses-putins-war-in-ukraine