The Russian movie Leviathan has been nominated for an Academy Award in the foreign-language film category.
Director Andrei Zvyagintsev's film, which captured the Golden Globe award this week for best foreign film but has had only a limited release in Russia, was among the five Oscar nominees in the category announced on January 15 by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
The gritty film has sparked controversy at home, where some believe it is facing official pushback because of its bleak portrayal of corruption and provincial life in contemporary Russia.
The Interfax news agency reported this week that the Russian government is mulling a ban on films that "defame the national culture."
Interfax cited unidentified Culture Ministry officials as saying a proposed government order would prohibit such movies from receiving licenses to be shown in Russian theaters.
