Russia’s Oscar-nomination committee have sprung a major surprise by putting forward Andrei Zvyagintsev’s controversial Cannes award-winner Leviathan as the country’s submission for the Academy Award for best foreign language film.

Since its premiere at Cannes 2014, Leviathan has astonished audiences in its unabashed attack on the mendacity and corruption of Russia’s governing elite, including a celebrated scene in which shots are fired at pictures of Russian leaders – Leonid Brezhnev and Mikhail Gorbachev among them – while a portrait of the current president, Vladimir Putin, is prominently displayed in the office of a corrupt local politician.

In an interview with the Guardian at Cannes, Zvyagintsev denied that his intention was to confront power – especially as some 35% of Leviathan’s funding came from Russia’s ministry of culture. However, he did admit that the culture minister, Vladimir Medinsky, had told him he didn’t like the film, while Leviathan’s producer Aleksandr Rodnyansky suggested that Zvyagintsev’s chances of obtaining future funding from the same source was limited.

There was also some suggestion that Leviathan might be banned in Russia following the passing of anti-swearing laws. However, it emerged in July that the film had been passed for screening, albeit with an 18+ certificate “due to the presence of foul language in the film”. No official release date for Russia has yet been set.

Leviathan joins the likes of Two Days, One Night, Ida and Timbuktu in the race for the best foreign language film Oscar, with the winner due to be announced at the Oscars ceremony in Los Angeles on 22 February.