The Russian invasion has sometimes surprising consequences for Russian artists.
Witness the projects of director Kirill Serebrennikov, who never spared his criticism of the lack of artistic freedom under the regime of Vladimir Putin.
Prohibited from leaving Russian territory until 2023 after a conviction in a contested trial in his country and abroad, the director has obtained an exit permit.
“
I probably behaved well
”, he quipped during a conference organized in Germany in January, but admits to having “
no idea
” of what motivated this decision, his previous requests having been refused .
The director had thus not been able to go to the Cannes festival last year,
Petrov's Fever
was in the running for the Palme d'Or.
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Thus, this pass allowed Kirill Serebrennikov to go to the Thalia Theater in Hamburg in January, in order to present his staging of The
Black Monk
, based on the fantastic short story by Anton Chekhov of the same name and published in 1893. The
Black Monk
follows the character of Andrei Kovrin, a Russian intellectual.
Overworked by work, he decides to go to the countryside to visit old friends.
In the garden that fascinates him so much, Andreï sees a black monk, a presence that makes him lose his mind.
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Acclaimed on the evening of the premiere, the show intends to cause a sensation again at the Avignon festival, the presence of the director having been confirmed by Paul Rondin, deputy director of the event.
The artist is even in charge of the opening, in the Cour d'honneur, and intends to adapt his staging for the occasion.
Kirill Serebrennikov's last appearance at the Avignon Festival dates back to 2019. His piece
Outside
laid bare the life of the Chinese poet and self-taught photographer, Ren Hang, who committed suicide in 2017. An existence that shook the director Russian, whose works, like Serebrennikov, were attacked, censored.
Without openly opposing Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kirill Serebrennikov has repeatedly criticized the pressures aimed at the country's artists while his works, dealing with themes such as politics, religion or sexuality, are regularly criticized by Orthodox activists or authorities.
The 76th edition of the Avignon Festival will be held from July 7 to 26.
The program will be unveiled at a press conference on March 24 at 2 p.m., broadcast live on the event website.