Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Film Takes Top Prize at London Film Festival

Russia's Culture Ministry only gave ?€?Leviathan?€? a screening permit in June after it won at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d'Or award. Sony Pictures Classics

Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev won the top prize at the London Film Festival for his film "Leviathan," a tale of small-town corruption in Russia.

The film, which has been controversial at home for its use of obscene language, left all jurors at the London festival moved by its "grandeur and themes," film producer and jury president Jeremy Thomas was cited as saying by The Guardian on Sunday.

Thomas said jurors had been unanimous in their decision to give "Leviathan" the film festival's top prize. The award follows an earlier win at the Cannes Film Festival, when Zvyagintsev's film took the prize for best screenplay.

Three of Zvyagintsev's earlier films have received prestigious awards, including "The Return" (2003), which won a Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, and "The Banishment," which got the best actor award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival.

Despite the success abroad of "Leviathan," Zvyagintsev ran into trouble when trying to obtain screening permits to show it in Russia. New legislation prohibits the screening of films with obscenities.

Russia's Culture Ministry only gave "Leviathan" a screening permit in June after it won at the Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Palme d'Or award.

The version of the film being shown in Russian movie theaters bears an 18+ warning and the curse words are bleeped out.? 

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more