CANNES: Leo Tolstoy’s classic story Anna Karenina is retold by renowned Russian director Karen Shakhnazarov in the eight-part series of the same name from Russia Television and Radio.

“No detail has been spared to achieve the atmosphere of true luxury and authenticity of the surroundings,” says Julia Matiash, the director of Sovtelexport, the company’s distribution arm.

There’s a second season of Ekaterina, about the Russian empress Catherine the Great, that Sovtelexport will present. “Global viewers will find it captivating and mesmerizing,” says Matiash.

Sophia tells the dramatic life story of the last Byzantium princess, who marries Ivan III and becomes the first influential woman in Russian history. “This is a fantastic saga about love, faith and destiny, based on uniquely re-created conditions of 15th-century Russia,” Matiash says.

She adds, “Our content is unique; it is based on globally recognized Russian literary characters, historical figures and events.”