Putin (film)
| Putin | |
|---|---|
Film poster | |
| Directed by | Patryk Vega |
| Written by | Patryk Vega |
| Produced by | Patryk Vega |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Michal Goscik |
| Edited by | Tomasz Widarski |
| Music by | Łukasz Targosz |
Production company | Vega Investments |
Release date |
|
Running time | 109 minutes[1] |
| Countries | Poland United States Malta |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $15 million |
Putin is a 2025 English-language Polish biographical film directed by Patryk Vega. The film, depicting the rise to power of Russian president Vladimir Putin, was released on 10 January 2025.
Synopsis
The film covers the life of Vladimir Putin and focuses on key milestones in Putin's real life,[2][3] including his childhood in Leningrad in the post-World War II Soviet Union, his recruitment into the KGB and subsequent Cold War-era career as an intelligence officer, and his tenure as the President of Russia. The film concludes with a fictionalized portrayal of Putin’s death.[4]
Cast
- Sławomir Sobala – Vladimir Putin (enhanced with AI to resemble Putin’s likeness)
- Kalina Wysocka – Tanya
- Thomas Kretschmann
- Tomasz Dedek – Boris Yeltsin
- Justyna Karlowska – Legion
- Maksymilian Zielinski
Production
The film was produced by the independent production and distribution company XYZEl.[5] The film was shot across various countries to authentically depict significant locations tied to Putin’s life and career, including Russia, Ukraine, Israel, Syria, Jordan and Poland.[3]
Use of artificial intelligence
A groundbreaking aspect of the production is its use of artificial intelligence (AI) to alter the facial features of the lead actor, Sławomir Sobala, to make him look almost identical to Vladimir Putin.[4][2][6]
The technology used in the film was specifically developed for the film by the Polish studio AIO.[3]
This marks the first instance in cinematic history where AI was used to digitally transform the lead actor’s appearance for an entire motion picture.[3]
Distribution
It was shown to international distributors at the Cannes Film Festival. It was planned to be presented in nearly fifty countries.[5]
References
- ^ "Putin". British Board of Film Classification. 6 December 2024. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
- ^ a b Roxborough, Scott (10 May 2024). "How 'Putin' Will Test Audience Appetite for AI". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ a b c d Belinchón, Gregorio (20 May 2024). "Un Putin generado por inteligencia artificial protagoniza su 'biopic' en inglés y revoluciona Cannes". El País (in Spanish).
- ^ a b "Putin in diapers: deepfake film on Russian leader sells big at Cannes". South China Morning Post. 19 May 2024.
- ^ a b Somani, Deeksha (20 May 2024). "Cannes 2024: AI-generated deepfake Putin film draws huge attention at the international film festival". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257.
- ^ Meza, Ed (15 May 2024). "Patryk Vega's AI-Generated 'Putin' Selling Globally Amid Intense Interest in Russian Leader (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety.