73SSIFF - 19/27 September 2025
Languages
Official
Sponsors
Media
Partner

Le mage du Kremlin / The Wizard of the Kremlin

Olivier Assayas
France      150 m.
Synopsis
Director
Program
Pictures
Videos
Pitching
Awards

Russia, early 1990s. Amid post-Soviet chaos, a brilliant young man, Vadim Baranov, charts his path. First an artist, then a reality show producer, he becomes the spin doctor to a rising KGB agent: Vladimir Putin. At the heart of power, Baranov shapes the new Russia, blurring the boundaries between truth and lies, belief and manipulation. Only the magnetic Ksenia is beyond his control, tempting him away from this dangerous game. Years later, after retreating into silence and shrouded in mystery, Baranov finally opens up, revealing the dark secrets of the regime he helped build.

Director
Olivier Assayas (France)
Screenplay
Olivier Assayas, Emmanuel Carrère
Production
Curiosa Films
Co-Production
Gaumont
Photography
Yorick Le Saux
Edition
Marion Monnier
Sound
Nicolas Cantin, Nicolas Moreau, Gwennolé Le Borgne, Sarah Lelu, Olivier Goinard
Cast
Jude Law, Paul Dano, Alicia Vikander, Jeffrey Wright
Running Time
150 m.
Country
France
Official Sponsor:
Media Partner:
Official Collaborators:
Associated Institutions: