Putin's hyperreal ascension

Key Points:

• "The Wizard Of The Kremlin," directed by Olivier Assayas, is a 130-minute film structured like a miniseries that fictionalizes the rise of oligarchical Russia from the Soviet Union's collapse, focusing on Vladislav Surkov (fictionalized as Vadim Baranov) and his role in shaping political reality under Vladimir Putin.
• The film explores themes of disinformation and hypernormalization, drawing parallels between Putin’s Russia and Donald Trump’s America, highlighting how political narratives are constructed and manipulated to control public perception.
• Central to the story is Baranov’s strategy of funding diverse, often opposing groups to sow confusion and mistrust among the populace, making genuine opposition difficult and reinforcing Putin’s power through manufactured chaos.
• While not a strict historical account or satire, the film offers a compelling look at the creation of a "post-truth" world where reality is invented by political technologists, reflecting broader global trends in political manipulation and media distortion.
• Starring Paul Dano as Baranov and Jude Law as Putin, "The Wizard Of The Kremlin" was released on May 15, 2026, blending theatricality with political commentary to evoke the complex and opaque nature of modern Russian politics.