International Competition

Feature Films

Sun, The

Russia / Italy / France / Switzerland
2004, 110min.

Script: Yuriy Arabov, Dir:/Dir. of Phot.: Aleksandr Sokurov, Compos.: Andrei Sigle, Edit.: Sergei Sigle, Sound: Sergei Moshkov. Prod.: Igor Kalenov, Andrei Sigle, Marco Muller.
Cast: Issey Ogata, Robert Dawson, Kaori Momoi, Shiro Sano, Hiroya Morita, Toshiaki Nisizawa, Naomasa Musaka, Yusake Tozawa.

Japanese Emperor, Hirohito, takes a retrospective look at his own life. The film takes place in Japan in the summer of 1945. On August 15th, millions of Japanese hear the voice of their emperor for the first time. In his address to the nation, he commands his army and his people to cease all fighting. With his appeal, the Emperor saves the lives of millions. In spite of this act, the victorious powers insist that the Emperor appear before a military tribunal.

Sokurov, Aleksandr

Aleksandr Sokurov (born 1951, Podorvikha, not far from Irkutsk, Russia)
He grew up in Poland and Turkmenistan. He worked for television in Gorky between the years of 1969 and 1975 and completed a degree in history from Gorky University. Subsequently, he studied directing at the Moscow film school VGIK. His 1978 graduation film and the feature films he made at Lenfilm between 1980 and 1985 could not be shown until after 1986. He received an accolade from the European Film Academy in 1995.

Filmography (selected)
The Summer of Maria Voynova (1975, doc.), Sonata for Hitler (1979, doc., short), Elegia (1986, doc.), The Evening Sacrifice (doc., short, 1987), The Lonely Human Voice (1987), The Moscow Elegy (1987, doc.), And Nothing More (1987, doc.), Mournful Unconcern (1987), Maria (1988. doc.), The Days of Eclipse (1988), Save and Protect (1989), Soviet Elegy (1989, doc.), The Second Circle (1990), The Stone (1992), Whispering Pages (1993), Spiritual Voices (1995, doc.), Eastern Elegy (1996, doc.), Hubert Robert. A Happy Life (1996, doc.), Mother and Son (1997), The Knot (1999, doc.), Moloch (1999), Dolce (2000), Elegy of a Voyage (2001, doc.), Taurus (2001), Russian Ark (2002), Father and Son (2003), The Sun (2005), Elegy of Life. Rostropovich. Vishnevskaya (2006, doc.), Aleksandra (2007).