A film about Putin was shown in Venice.

The film by French director Olivier Assayas is based on the novel by writer Giuliano da Empoli and depicts the process of Putin's rise to power.

In the film, the main plot is revealed through a conversation between an American journalist and Vadim Baranov, a Kremlin "puppet master."

According to critics, it contains some historical inaccuracies, but it reflects well how the West views Putin's emergence onto the political stage.