Michael Hoffman, The Last Station

Writer-director Michael Hoffman's The Last Station covers the last days of Leo Tolstoy and the debate over his legacy between his wife Sofya and the wily Chertkov, who, as a leader of the celibacy-, peace- and vegetarianism-promulgating Tolstoyan Movement, would like his copyrights given to the "people" of Russia, along with his considerable estate. Hoffman cast Christopher Plummer as Tolstoy, Helen Mirren as the volcanic Sofya and Paul Giamatti as Chertkov. It also features James McAvoy as Valentin Bulgakov, who was Tolstoy's assistant in the last year of his life, Cherkov's supposed spy and the audience's eye for the often comic, sometimes tragic goings-on. Hoffman discusses the five years he spent writing, rewriting, seeking funding and casting before finally filming in Germany (29 minutes).

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