"In 1886, a twenty-six-year-old Anton Chekhov was publishing short stories, humor pieces, and articles at an astonishing rate, and was still a practicing physician. Yet as he honed his craft and continued to draw inspiration from the vivid characters in his own life, he found himself--to his surprise and occasional embarrassment--admired by a growing legion of fans, including Tolstoy himself. He had not yet succumbed to the ravages of tuberculosis....

Winner of the Palme d'Or at this year's Cannes, the new film from Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Once Upon A Time In Anatolia) is an immersive and provocative drama. Set in the picturesque and striking landscape of Cappadocia in Central Anatolia, Winter Sleep focuses on a small village, half-empty, in the wintry off-season. The film follows a local celebrity, Aydin, an actor who runs a small hotel with his wife, writes a column for the local newspaper,...