Mikhalkov used the critical and financial triumph of '' Burnt by the Sun '' to raise $ 25 million for his most epic venture to date , '' The Barber of Siberia '' ( 1998 ) . The film , which was screened out of competition at the 1999 Cannes Film Festival , was designed as a patriotic extravaganza for domestic consumption . It featured Julia Ormond and Oleg Menshikov , who regularly appears in Mikhalkov 's films , in the leading roles . The director himself appeared as Tsar Alexander III of Russia
1999 Cannes Film Festival
1999 Cannes Film Festival
Nikita Mikhalkov