Representations of prominent social problems in Andrey Zvyagintsev's filmography in post-Soviet Russian cinema

With its invention in the late 19th century, cinema spread rapidly and was recognized as a new branch of art in the following years. Cinema, which has been found to have functions such as influencing and directing large masses, has moved away from its artistic identity in some periods. The Soviet Union, which made significant contributions to the theoretical development of cinema, saw cinema as an important propaganda tool. In the Soviet Union, cinema was tasked with spreading the ideology of the state and the content of films was intended to be in line with the state's cinema policy. Political, social and economic changes in Russia, one of the largest states established after the collapse of the Soviet Union, directly affected Russian cinema. In post-USSR Russia, rapid reform movements affecting social life were realized. Subsequently, economic problems, poverty, increased crime rates, corruption of bureaucracy and significant social problems affecting families emerged and the existing problems increased. This study aims to reveal how these social problems are represented in the filmography of Andrey Zvyagintsev in Russian cinema. Zvyagintsev's films were analyzed together with mise-en-scene analysis and sociological film analysis method. In this study; various Russian films that have social sensitivity and make differences in terms of dramaturgy in Russian cinema are also included. It is concluded that in the post-USSR Russian cinema, Andrey Zvyagintsev has built his entire filmography on certain social problems that have a counterpart in Russian society.