The story is based on a real life incident and centers around the head doctor of an asylum who winds up as the asylum patient. Lonely, estranged, reflecting Doctor Andrey Ragin is one of the focal characters in the work of Chekhov and the entire world literature of the 20th century.
The screenplay is an adaptation of Chekhov’s story. Preserving the story-line the authors deliberately move the scene into the present.
Shooting of the film was done in a real asylum, in a novel semi-documentary manner.
The screenplay of “Ward No. 6” was written in 1988 by Karen Shakhnazarov and Alexander Borodyansky, but the project was stopped due to difference of opinions with the Italian producers.
Marcello Mastroianni was to act Andrey Ragin.
The main scenes of the film were shot in the functioning mental home located in ancient Nikolo-Poshehonsky monastery in the vicinity of Moscow.
The film was shot in record time: from the November 5th to the December 2nd, 2008.
Source : mosfilm.ru