Russian film director Andrey Zvyagintsev brought out of induced coma

Russian film director Andrey Zvyagintsev was brought out of a medically-induced coma, according to the chairman of AFK Sistema’s board of directors Vladimir Yevtushenkov. Zvyagintsev is in Germany undergoing treatment for a severe case of COVID-19.

“[His] health is now more or less satisfactory. He’s going to move to a rehabilitation hospital now. He’s already come out of the coma,” Yevtushenkov told the REN TV network on Wednesday, September 22. 

Last week, reports emerged that Zvyagintsev had been transferred to Germany for treatment in mid-August after contracting COVID-19. The filmmaker was in very serious condition, having suffered damage to 92 percent of his lungs. He was put in a medically-induced coma and on extracorporeal life support (ECLS).

According to the news site The Bell, the Russian conglomerate AFK Sistema is paying for Zvyagintsev’s medical treatment and rehabilitation abroad.

Andrey Zvyagintsev is a two-time Oscar nominee known for directing the films “The Return,” “Elena,” “Leviathan,” and “Loveless,” among others. He won the Venice Film Festival’s main prize in 2003 and the Cannes Film Festival’s Jury Prize in 2017.