Depardieu to play a Chechen man seeking revenge

Associated Press
French actor Gerard Depardieu looks at a glass during a news conference in Chechnya's provincial capital Grozny, Russia, Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Depardieu announced his plans to star in a drama about a Chechen man investigating and avenging the death of his son in Moscow. (AP Photo/Musa Sadulayev)

GROZNY, Russia (AP) — French actor Gerard Depardieu will star in a drama about a Chechen man who seeks revenge for the killing of his son.

Chechnya, a southern Russian province, has been in the spotlight since it emerged that the suspects in April's Boston marathon bombing are ethnic Chechens.

The predominantly Muslim province was devastated by two separatist wars with Moscow, and its current Kremlin-backed ruler has been widely criticized for human rights violations.

The ruler, Ramzan Kadyrov, has been a gracious host to Depardieu, giving him an expensive apartment in the Chechen capital, Grozny, after the actor got Russian citizenship in January.

Depardieu said Tuesday that the drama, titled "Turquoise," will be directed by French filmmaker Philippe Martinez and will also star British actress Elizabeth Hurley.