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.