In 2002 Aleksandr Sokurov directed “Russian Ark,” a fictional travelogue through the Russian State Hermitage Museum. The 99-minute film was astonishing for its intricate plot and memorable performances. And even more astonishing is that it was shot in a single take. Any glitch in the filming or the performance would have been catastrophic. But the filmmakers succeeded, and their movie is a classic. Perhaps inspired by “Russian Ark,” the folks at Apple have given us “Hermitage.” This single-take film runs for more than five hours. Shot on an iPhone 11 Pro on one battery charge, the movie visits more than 45 galleries with hundreds of celebrated paintings. It also captures live performances produced especially for the event. Here’s the trailer.
As part of Apple’s ShotoniPhone series, “Hermitage” may be the world’s longest commercial. But whatever its marketing goals, the movie is memorable. If you want to see the entire film, it’s just a click away.
The editors of MobileMovieMaking.com have chosen “Hermitage: 5hrs 19min 28 sec in one continuous take” as the Mobile Movie of the Week.