Sergey Dreyden

Shot in one fluid take, this visually hypnotic cinematic feat is an ode to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. A marquis guides us through the lavish galleries examining architectural details and paintings, while following a dreamlike plot, and helped by a cast of 867 actors who supply the action of the film.

Medea, a young Georgian immigrant who works in a St. Petersburg antique workshop, goes to view an apartment in the city's historic center. The prime piece of real estate is available for a low price because its cantankerous owner, Vadim, comes as part of the deal. Undeterred by the odd living arrangement, Medea agrees to move in, but one of the conditions is that she is never to have any guests.