Best Leading Actor: Konstantin Lavronenko in "The Banishment"

The prize for Best Leading Actor was awarded to Konstantin Lavronenko for his performance in The Banishment by Andreï Zyvagintsev.

Andreï Zvyagintsev addressed the audience: “Good evening. I’m more than delighted for Konstantin. He deserved this prize. Thank you to the Jury. Thank you to the Festival management.
Thank you, audience. I am happy.”

Speaking of his actor Konstantin Lavronenko at the laureates’ press conference, Banishment director Andreï Zvyagintsev added:
“You probably already know him, because he was the leading man in my earlier film, The Return. He made his film debut at the age of 42. Before that, Konstantin was a stage
actor. He had studied at the School of Popular Theater in Moscow. Then,
one day, he realized that he had devoted his whole life to the stage, and only the stage. He started acting for film in a studio that was a pretty unofficial, “underground” affair. The first
time I saw him was in 1992; then, there was nothing. It was almost a miracle ten years later when I began preparing to make my film and I remembered him. In my opinion, he’s a wonderful actor,
because he has this ability to remain on camera, simply waiting, with composure. He pauses for a certain amount of time, and then utters the two or three words I ask him to say. Personally, I
feel that an actor who can do without deliberately performing emotion and concentrate on his innermost self is extremely courageous.”