A film by a Russian director who has been critical of President Vladimir Putin was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Tchaikovsky's Wife" by director Kirill Serebrennikov is among the films nominated for the top Palme d'Or prize.

The titular character is Antonina, the wife of 19th-century composer Pyotr Tchaikovsky.

It portrays the collapse of their marriage and her declining mental state.

The audience gave Serebrennikov a standing ovation after the official screening.

They praised the director for coming to the festival, as many Russians are excluded from it.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the festival organizers barred Russians connected to the government from this year's event.

Serebrennikov is a critic of Putin and has directed satires of Russian society. He was accused of embezzling government funds and was placed under house arrest, which prevented him from taking part in the festival in 2018 and 2021.

He left Russia in March following the invasion of Ukraine and now lives in Berlin.

Serebrennikov gave a news conference before the screening. He said that he understands people demanding boycotts of Russians because what is happening in Ukraine is painful and unbearable.

But he added that calling for a boycott of culture based solely on nationality is impossible, because culture is like air, water, clouds and other things which are independent.

He went on to say that theater and cinema are what help people feel alive.