A contemporary filmmaker and another 19th-century French diplomat (Sergei Dontsov) find themselves in an ancient palace in St. Petersburg, completely invisible to the people around them. The two wandered around the palace together, witnessing the furious Peter the Great whipping his general; Queen Catherine's private life; the last supper of the last czar's family on the eve of the revolution and the last splendid court ball in 1913. In just 100 minutes, I have personally experienced more than 200 years of Russian history. The film won the Best Foreign language Film Award at the 2004 Argentine Film Festival, the 2003 German camera Awards for Best Actor (Sergei Dontsov), Best Screenplay and Best Director, 2004 Nica Award for Best Art Director, 2003 San Francisco Film critics Association Honor Award, 2002 Toronto International Film Festival Vision Award.
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