RUSSIAN ARK

A First Friday Film, co-presented by the Farnsworth, the Camden Conference, and the Strand

Russian filmmaker Alexander Sokurov broke boundaries with his dreamlike vision of the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, RUSSIAN ARK. It’s the first feature-length narrative film shot in a single take (on digital video, using a specially designed disc instead of tape).

RUSSIAN ARK is shot from the point-of-view of an unseen narrator, as he explores the museum and travels through Russian history. The audience sees through his eyes as he witnesses Peter the Great (Maksim Sergeyev) abusing one of his generals; Catherine the Great (Maria Kuznetsova) desperately searching for a bathroom; and, in the grand finale, the sumptuous Great Royal Ball of 1913. The narrator is eventually joined by a sarcastic and eccentric 19th century French Marquis (Sergey Dreiden), who travels with him throughout the huge grounds, encountering various historical figures and viewing the legendary artworks on display. While the narrator only interacts with the Marquis (he seems to be invisible to all the other inhabitants), the Marquis occasionally interacts with visitors and former residents of the museum.

The film was obviously shot in one day, but the cast and crew rehearsed for months to time their movements precisely with the flow of the camera while capturing the complex narrative, with elaborate costumes from different periods, and several trips out to the exterior of the museum. Tilman Büttner, the director of photography, was responsible for capturing it all in one single Steadicam shot.

Directed by Alexander Sokurov

Starring Sergey Dreyden, Mariya Kuznetsova, Leonid Mozgovoy, Maksim Sergeyev

Russia | 2002 | NR | 99 min

Friday, February 6, 5:30 pm at the Strand Theatre
Admission: $8.50/Adults, $7.50/Farnsworth Members, Students, Seniors
A brief discussion will follow the film, led by the Farnsworth’s Director of Education, Roger Dell