Minotaur: On the red carpet with Andrey Zvyagintsev and Iris Lebedeva at London Film Festival 2026

A loose adaptation of French filmmaker Claude Chabrol’s 1969 classic, The Unfaithful Wife, Andrey Zvyagintsev’s feature is rife with symbolism – from its title borrowed from Ancient Greek mythology to the characters’ greater political implications. This is the filmmaker’s first film in nine years, after his long battle with COVID and departure to France, and it’s also the first of his works to be shot outside Russia. It follows Gleb, seemingly living a picture-perfect life with his wife, Galina, and their teenage son in their beautifully spacious home and his cushy job as CEO of a successful company. Amidst pressures to choose 14 of his employees to be drafted, his mounting suspicion of Galina having extramarital affairs reveals cracks in his calm façade. The theme of sacrifice is heavy in this piece, with stellar performances by the leads, Dmitriy Mazurov and Iris Lebedeva.

The Upcoming caught up with Zvyagintsev and Lebedeva as they premiered Minotaur at the London Film Festival. The director spoke about choosing the story and finding ways to communicate the themes to an audience in the best way he knew how – including choosing the right people to work with who allowed him to connect with viewers. He also touched on the picture as a sort of mirror for people watching to find themselves reflected in. Lebedeva highlighted the ease and comfort in working with Zvyagintsev, stating that he “brings out the best in people” and allowed for creativity on set, including improvisation.

Mae Trumata

Minotaur is released nationwide on 27^th November 2026.

Read more reviews from our London Film Festival 2026 coverage here.

For further information about the event, visit the London Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for Minotaur here: