Alexander Sokurov’s groundbreaking Russian Ark pushed digital technology to its limits on release, and remains as captivating today.
Filmed in a single take after months of rehearsals, this narrative feature paints a dreamlike vision of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, where an unseen narrator explores the museum while travelling through Russian history.
Encountering Peter the Great and Catherine the Great, and witnessing the magnificent Great Royal Ball of 1913, the narrator and his eccentric companion, a 19th century French Marquis (Sergey Dreiden), explore the grounds and galleries, while experiencing artworks and historical figures.
