Kantemir Balagov
Kantemir Arturovich Balagov (born 28 July 1991) is a Russian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer of Circassian ethnicity, from the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, in the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation. He has directed the films Closeness (2017) and Beanpole (2019).
Also recorded as Kantemir Arturovich Balagov
Kantemir Balagov

Danielle Varenhorst · Danielle Varenhorst / WikiPortraits · CC BY-SA 4.0
- Name
- Kantemir Balagov
- Birth Name
- Kantemir Arturovich Balagov
- Born
- 28 July 1991
- Birthplace
- Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR, RSFSR, USSR
- Occupation
- Film director, cameraman, screenwriter
- Known for
- Beanpole
- Education
- Kabardino-Balkarian State University
- Nationality
- Russia
- Languages
- Russian
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Documentary summary
Kantemir Arturovich Balagov (born 28 July 1991) is a Russian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer of Circassian ethnicity, from the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, in the North Caucasian region of the Russian Federation. He has directed the films Closeness (2017) and Beanpole (2019).
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wikidata · Q30346628 · wikipedia · Kantemir Balagov
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Kantemir Balagov • Native Name — Бэлагъы Къантемыр • Birth Name — Kantemir Arturovich Balagov • Born — 28 July 1991 • Birthplace — Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian ASSR, RSFSR, USSR • Occupation — Film director, cameraman, screenwriter • Years Active — 2013–present • Known for — Beanpole • Education — Kabardino-Balkarian State University • Partner — Kira Kovalenko
Biography
Biography
Balagov was born in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, RSFSR, in the final year of the Soviet Union, into a family with no connection to cinema.[1][2] His mother is a chemistry and biology teacher who works as the head teacher at a local school, while his father is a local entrepreneur.[3] Since childhood, Balagov had been watching mainstream movies, and at the age of 18 began to create his own small videos. Then, together with friends in Nalchik, he shot an Internet series with episodes of 10 minutes each. He did not originally plan to pursue a career as a filmmaker, but decided to apply for the cinema workshop led by Alexander Sokurov at Kabardino-Balkarian State University in Nalchik. Balagov missed the deadline to enter the university as a freshman, but he still wrote to Sokurov asking Sokurov to consider his application. He eventually was accepted to the workshop as a third-year student. He graduated from university after studies in Sokurov's workshop. Directors Kira Kovalenko, Alexander Zolotukhin and Vladimir Bitokov were his fellow students.[4][5] During his studies, he made several fiction and documentary films.[7] Some of Balagov's short films were shown at the 67th Locarno Festival.[8] In 2017, he made his debut as a director with the feature film Closeness in the program Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival, where he received the prize FIPRESCI.[9] In 2017, he was awarded the GQ Russia Prize in the category Discovery of the Year.[12] In 2019, Balagov received the Cannes Film Festival Un Certain Regard Award for Best Director and FIPRESCI prize for the film Beanpole.[13][14] Beanpole was Russia's entry for Best International Feature Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, making the December shortlist.[15] In January 2021, Balagov was named as the director of the pilot for The Last of Us television adaptation.[16] In October 2022, Balagov announced that he left the project a year ago over creative differences, and the series' showrunner and creator, Craig Mazin, took over directing duties for the pilot, although 40% of the footage shot by Balagov were retained in the final cut. In 2022, he served as Telluride Film Festival guest director alongside Kira Kovalenko, at the 49th edition. When Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Balagov condemned the war and left Russia for exile in California.[17][18] Balagov and his girlfriend, the Russian filmmaker Kira Kovalenko[19] were chosen as Telluride Film Festival guest directors in September 2022.[20] In May 2024, it was announced that Balagov would film his first English-language feature titled Butterfly Jam. The movie is produced by Pascal Caucheteux's Why Not Productions and Alexander Rodnyansky's AR Content.[21] Filming began on 2 April 2025.[22] The film had its world premiere as the opening film of the Directors' Fortnight section of the 2026 Cannes Film Festival on 13 May.
Personal life
Personal life
Balagov is in a relationship with Russian filmmaker Kira Kovalenko.
Political beliefs
Political beliefs
The couple fled Russia following the invasion of Ukraine, and the Russian government crackdown of anti-war protests and critics. They live in exile in California ever since.
Filmography
Filmography
• Year — English title — Original title — Notes • 2017 — Closeness — Теснота • 2019 — Beanpole — Дылда • 2026 — Butterfly Jam — English language debut

Kantemir Balagov at 2026 Cannes Film Festival during a Q A about Butterfly Jam
Danielle Varenhorst · Danielle Varenhorst / WikiPortraits

Kantemir Balagov at 2026 Cannes Film Festival during a Q A about Butterfly Jam
Danielle Varenhorst · Danielle Varenhorst / WikiPortraits
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 1 entries
1991
Kantemir Balagov born at Nalchik.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q30346628: Kantemir Balagov
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Kantemir Balagov”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
scholarly publication
- Queer women of Kantemir Balagov: subjectivities in extreme contexts, Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema, 2023
Scholarly · Crossref registry · 2023
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Kantemir Balagov at the Festival de Cannes
- 2.Kantemir Balagov at the Locarno Festival
- 3.Anisimova, Elena. Знакомьтесь, Кантемир Балагов — будущее российского кино (он уже выиграл в Каннах). Sobaka.ru. 25 July 2017.
- 4.Christopher Vourlias. Vladimir Bitokov Looks to Find a 'Home' in Venice With Sophomore Feature. Variety. 2021-09-03.
- 5.Geoffrey Macnab. Alexander Rodnyansky on why this is an amazing moment for Russian filmmaking. Screen Daily. 2021-09-02.
- 6.Moskvitin, E. Кантемир Балагов: "Уверен, что мои амбиции меня когда-нибудь погубят". Esquire. 2019-06-20.
- 7.Кантемир Балагов. ПрофиСинема. [Kantemir Balagov]. ProfiCinema.ru (in Russian).
- 8.Kabardino-Balkarian State University: Aleksandr Sokurov Teaching Cinema
- 9.Dolin, Anton. «Теснота» Кантемира Балагова: ученик Сокурова снял фильм о еврейской семье на Кавказе в 1990-е. И покорил Канны!. Meduza. 25 May 2017.
- 10.«Теснота» Кантемира Балагова получила приз ФИПРЕССИ в Каннах. Это фильм о жизни еврейской семьи в Нальчике в 1990-е. Meduza. 27 May 2017.
- 11.Запредельно близко: "Теснота" как главный российский кинодебют года. Wonderzine.com. 21 July 2017.
- 12.Smolina, Yelena. Открытие года 2017: Кантемир Балагов. GQ Russia. 13 September 2017.
- 13.Un Certain Regard 2019 prizes
- 14.Российский режиссёр Кантемир Балагов получил вторую награду в Каннах. Novaya Gazeta. 25 May 2019.
- 15.Russia's Beanpole Shortlisted For Oscar's Best International Film. RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. 17 December 2019.
- 16.'Last of Us' HBO Series Finds Director (Exclusive). The Hollywood Reporter. 15 January 2021.
- 17.Meduza. Режиссер Кантемир Балагов уехал из России. 2022-03-06.
- 18.Rossa Primavera. Режиссер Балагов заявил об отъезде из России в связи с событиями на Украине. 2022-03-07.
- 19.Arthur Cerf. Kantemir Balagov et Kira Kovalenko, les étoiles fuyantes du cinéma russe. Le Monde. 2023-01-07.
- 20.Kohn, Eric. Russian Directors Kira Kovalenko and Kantemir Balagov Discuss Fleeing the Country, Call Putin a 'Butcher'. IndieWire. 2022-06-14.
- 21.Lodderhose, Diana. Goodfellas, Why Not Productions Board Kantemir Balagov's English-Language Debut 'Butterfly Jam' With AR Content — Cannes Market. Deadline. 2024-05-07.
- 22.Lavallée, Eric. Butterfly Jam Update: Kantemir Balagov Teams with Cinematographer Jomo Fray. Ion Cinema. 2025-04-02.
References
Citations
References
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scholarly publication
Queer women of Kantemir Balagov: subjectivities in extreme contexts, Studies in Russian and Soviet Cinema, 2023Crossref registry
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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