Sokurov has filmed a tetralogy exploring the corrupting effects of power . The first three installments were dedicated to prominent 20th-century rulers : '' Moloch '' ( 1999 ) , about Hitler , '' Taurus '' ( 2000 ) , about Lenin , and '' The Sun '' ( 2004 ) about Emperor Hirohito . In 2011 , Sokurov shot the last part of the series , '' Faust '' , a retelling of Goethe 's tragedy . The film , depicting instincts and schemes of Faust in his lust for power , premiered on 8 September 2011 in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival . The film won the Golden Lion , the highest award of the Venice Festival . Producer Andrey Sigle said about '' Faust '' : " The film has no particular relevance to contemporary events in the world — it is set in the early 19th century — but reflects Sokurov 's enduring attempts to understand man and his inner forces . " The military world of the former USSR is one of Sokurov ’s ongoing interests , because of his personal connections to the subject and because the military marked the lives of a large part of population of the USSR . Three of his works , '' Spiritual Voices : From the Diaries of a War , Confession , '' '' From the Commander ’s Diary '' and '' Soldier ’s Dream '' revolve around military life . '' Confession '' has been screened at several independent film festivals , while the other two are virtually unknown
68th Venice International Film Festival
68th Venice International Film Festival
Alexander Sokurov