Apr. 12 | Sunday | 4:00 p.m. | Thriller | 136 min | M12
Directed by: Olivier Assayas
Starring: Paul Dano, Jude Law, Alicia Vikander, Tom Sturridge, Jeffrey Wright, Zach Galifianakis, Andris Keišs, Anton Lytvynov, Will Keen, Matthew Baunsgard, Alexander M. Johnson, Anastasia Sutter, Magne-Håvard Brekke, Dan Cade
Synopsis: Russia in the early 1990s is the aftermath of the Soviet Union’s collapse, a new era that promises freedom yet where chaos lurks. Vadim Baranov, an artist turned television producer, becomes the communications advisor to a promising member of the FSB (formerly the KGB), Vladimir Putin.
Immersed in the heart of the system, Baranov becomes the architect of the new Russia’s propaganda, shaping discourses, fantasies, and perceptions. However, one figure remains beyond his control: Ksenia, a free-spirited and elusive woman who embodies the possibility of escape from political influence and domination.
Fifteen years later, after a period of silence, Baranov agrees to speak. What he reveals blurs the lines between truth and fiction, belief and strategy. “The Kremlin Magician” is a descent into the dark corridors of power, a film where every word serves a scheme.
Based on the book by Giuliano da Empoli.
