The Wizard of the Kremlin

Synopsis

In the chaotic wake of the Soviet Union's collapse, brilliant young artist and TV producer Vadim Baranov ascends to the inner sanctum of the Kremlin as the primary spin doctor for a rising KGB agent, Vladimir Putin. Baranov orchestrates a new Russian reality, expertly blurring the lines between truth and fiction to manufacture an era of absolute power. As he helps shape a modern autocracy, his only challenge remains the magnetic Ksenia, who threatens to pull him away from his cynical game of high-stakes manipulation. Decades later, living in self-imposed isolation, Baranov finally reveals the chilling secrets behind the regime he helped construct. Olivier Assayas directs this sleek political thriller, exploring the dark alchemy of modern political theatre and the cost of being the architect of a tsar's empire.