Zvyagintsev’s Leviathan given permission to be shown in Russia

The latest film from Russian film director Andrey Zvyagintsev Leviathan has been issued with an 18+ certificate from the Russian Ministry of Culture, allaying fears that the film would be banned altogether from Russian cinemas due to the use of swearing in the film, which could be seen to violate the law enacted last week forbidding the use of profanity in the arts. The Ministry of Culture announced the news on its website yesterday, saying that “an exhibition certificate for the film Leviathan has been given, dating from late June, with an 18+ restriction due to the presence of foul language in the film”.

Debuting at Cannes film festival in May, where the new film won the prize for best screenplay, Leviathan was given a mixed review by Russian minister of culture Vladimir Medinsky, who said “[it is] a talented film, but I did not like it.” Zvyagintsev’s film chronicles the struggles of handyman Kolya as he tries to stop the corrupt local mayor from seizing his land for a construction project. The film serves as an allegory for modern-day Russia and has been lauded as a new Russian masterpiece, with the rights to the film already bought by a number of distribution companies across the world.

Zvyagintsev has yet to comment on the culture ministry’s decision to allow his film to be screened in Russia, but has previously made it known that he would not re-edit his film to make it comply with the new law. “We considered every word, and all the words are relevant [for the film] as they help to recreate authentic conversational language. Castrated language and bans are bad for the arts,” said Zvyagintsev at Cannes this year, according to news agency Interfax.

The new law against the use of profanity in the arts has come under fire from a number of figures from Russia’s film world who have criticised the new bill as an attempt to limit creative freedom. Earlier today, prominent director and head of the Russian Cinematographers’ Union Nikita Mikhalkov told Itar-Tass that the union is preparing a document on the issue in order to discuss the possibility of amending the law.