Kultainen Kukko

Le Coq d'Or, or the Golden Cockerel, was the last opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, which he completed in 1907. This production is international in every sense of the word: A Russian opera performed in France by a largely Russian cast, with staging and costumes by a master of the Japanese Kabuki tradition, and music performed by the Orchestre de Paris.

Directed by Thomas Grimm, Kultainen Kukko leans on a strong ensemble — Albert Schagigullin, Ilya Levinsky, Andrei Breus — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2003.