Kirill Serebrennikov's 'The Student' Premieres at Cannes, Exposes Russian Religious Fanaticism

Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov, known for his theatre work at Moscow's Gogol Centre, presented his film 'The Student' at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival in the Un Certain Regard section. The film adapts a play by Marius von Mayenburg and explores the rise of religious fanaticism in contemporary Russia, allegedly supported by political forces. The story follows a young boy experiencing a mystical crisis who manipulates those around him, except for an atheist teacher. Serebrennikov, who previously competed at Venice in 2012 with 'Izmena' and won the Grand Jury Prize at the Rome Film Festival in 2006 for 'Playing the Victim', uses this film to draw international attention to the obscurantism overtaking rationality in his country, with tragic consequences. The director gave an interview about the real situation in Russia.