Branagh learned backwards Russian for Nolan's Tenet after director said yes

Kenneth Branagh said he asked Christopher Nolan whether his Russian oligarch in Tenet should speak Russian backwards, reflecting the film's time-inversion conceit. Nolan replied: "Yes, I think you would." Branagh spent lunch breaks learning backwards Russian for the role. He shared the detail at the Edinburgh International Film Festival on 16 August 2026, where he received the inaugural Outstanding Contribution to Cinema award (Variety).