Kino Lorber has officially announced and detailed its upcoming Blu-ray release of acclaimed Russian director Aleksandr Sokurov's
Russkiy kovcheg a.k.a
Russian Ark (2002), starring Sergey Dreyden, Mariya Kuznetsova, and Leonid Mozgovoy. The release will be available for purchase on November 18th.
There are no supplemental features listed on the final press release.
One of the most staggering technical achievements in the history of movies,
Russian Ark (2002) consists of one unbroken 96-minute tracking shot through the halls of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
Director Alexander Sokurov (
The Sun) collaborated with a cast of thousands, followed by iron man director of photography Tilman Büttner (
Run Lola Run), to produce this unclassifiable masterpiece. Dizzyingly beautiful, the viewer is led by a French marquis (Sergei Dreiden) and an unseen narrator through hundreds of years of Russian history, from encounters with Catherine the Great to a gorgeous recreation of the last Royal Ball held in the Winter Palace, in 1913.
Both a triumph of style and a revelatory unveiling of history,
Russian Ark is a landmark in contemporary world cinema.
Note: Currently in repertory theatrical re-release by Kino Lorber, the film grossed over $20,000 during a weeklong run at New York's Film Forum, with more theatrical dates around the country planned.