Filmed in a single take, Alexander Sokurov's remarkable Russian Ark captured the imaginations of film-goers everywhere. This narrator of Russian culture and spirit takes us back to St Petersburg in his beautiful and aurally inspired Diary of St Petersburg - Mozart . Requiem. "The first night of a performance of Mozart's Requiem staged by Alexander Sokurov, with the Rossica Choir from St Petersburg, led by Valentina Kopylova-Pantchenko, took place in the small hall of the St Petersburg Philharmonic at the end of the winter of 2003. The choir holds a special place in this presentation of the Requiem - it is the main actor and plays the main role. The director was looking to give a new resonance to classical music in both an aesthetic as well as a musical context. On stage, the action takes place in a clear, simple, dynamic and beautiful way, within the space of a magnificent hall. The performance was a surprising revelation even for music-lovers." - Rotterdam Film Festival