At the center of an outlawed region called The Zone lies a mystical room altered by unnatural forces. Armed guards are the first in a series of lethal obstructions that prevent outsiders from reaching the place where fantastic powers can fulfill man's greatest desires. Only the Stalker can lead a scientist and a writer through The Zone where an obstacle course of mental and physical barriers tests the limits of their endurance. At the end they must face a room where the center of power and evil confronts them and the future of mankind.

Based on the novel "The roadside picnic" by Arkadi and Boris Strugatsky. Originally produced as a motion picture in 1979. Special features: Video interviews with composer Artemyev, cameraman Knyazhinsky and set decorator Safiullin ; Excerpt from "The steamroller and the violin," Tarkovsky's diploma film at the Soviet film school VGIK ; "Memory," a short film about Tarkovsky's home ; Cast & crew biographies/filmographies ; photo album.