parajanov - opinions?

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, 1964
Color of Pomegranates, 1970
The Legend of the Suram Fortress, 1984
Ashik Kerib, 1988
The Confession, 1990
Parajanov: The Last Spring, 1992

My fave is Shadows.

what i was saying is that theres a mini season of his films on at cine lumiere next week, and ever since i ever heard about the colour of pomegranate i have wanted to see it, but was wondering if it as good as i am expecting.

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is crazy with the camera moves. And the "folk-acting," I'd have to call it, seems so organic even a Brooklyn Acad of Music audience didn't snicker (much).

Saw Color of Pomegranates last year and it was nothing short of one of the most moving film experiences ever. I came out of that theatre unable to watch a film for weeks.

Had a guided tour of the Parajanov house museum this morning. He was effectively banned from making films for sixteen years and worked relentlessly as a visual artist instead - the museum brings together a lot of what survived. He had about sixteen unrealised film scripts, including one for Lermontov's Demon, and used them as a basis for collages, vitrines, etc, mostly made from found / discarded items. Armenia's highest film award, the Golden Apricot medal, is a silver replica of a work he made by scratching a relief into a foil milk bottle top with his fingernails while in prison.

He's unique, I would think, in being widely recognised as having made the greatest film in the canon of four separate nations - Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. The loss of potential in those frozen years is staggering.

Lots of biographical information, too. I had no idea that his first wife was murdered by her brother two weeks into their marriage.

Having read a few Soviet-era writers you see 'wasted' years all the time and yet it is a wonder how so much survives, too. Colour of Pomegranates is like that.

Really appreciate the report. Would be good to see an exhibit someday.

Aram Bajakian has done this beautiful soundtrack inspired by Color of Pomegranates, sorry to bring music to ILF but it is amazing!

https://arambajakian.bandcamp.com/album/music-inspired-by-the-color-of-pomegranates

Excellent - will give it a listen tonight xelab!

Been listening to bits and its good - I like that its 'inspired' in the best sense, as in you wouldn't know it was so unless Aram told you and yet when you listen you can see.

Seeing this excerpt and reading the post above it was nothing short of one of the most moving film experiences ever. I came out of that theatre unable to watch a film for weeks is similar for me, watched it at 10am in a screening somewhere and the world just changes when you get out of the darkness - for the better! But its also never the same, it awakens things in you - things you can't understand. I have never re-watched it bcz, well, I couldn't stomach seeing this on DVD, and obviously there aren't many screenings. Wonder what it will be like.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPG0vNAv9bA
This bit really blew me away. I have only seen Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors so far but am looking forward to seeing this one now.

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is amazingly great, and the Hutsul traditional music of the soundtrack adds so much to the film

I liked the use of color, black & white, and red tinted film to signify mood. All of the dance sequences, the bagpipes and traditional music vocal tracks, the exotic sounding horns and recorders, the religious images and images of lambs and goats were phenomenal.

The hyperactive camera was over the top but in a pleasing way, and the story of lost love was moving

I was struck by how everyone went around carrying and using axes

https://asia.si.edu/events-overview/films/

The Color of Pomegranates is at the National Museum of Asian Art (the Smithsonian is in the process of unpersoning Freer and Sackler) this Saturday. Is anyone else interested in going? Can anyone here convince me to overcome my exhaustion and go?

i mean, parajanov on the big screen sounds fucking awesome!

I first saw The Colour of Pomegranates on a dbl bill with Tarkovsky's Stalker at The Scala in Kings Cross - those were the days!

Because the filmography is so small, I think he's one of those people who never made a 'bad' film - it's all of interest.

https://youtu.be/58hoktsqk_Q

yeah just a few subtle allusions

https://en.armradio.am/2024/01/09/sergei-parajanovs-statue-unveiled-in-yerevan/

Apparently never had a statue before

I wouldn't have expected it, but there are two other public statues of him depicted on his Wikipedia page!

Interesting to learn from that same source that at some point Pasolini was a major inspiration for him, I can see elements of Edipo Re in Sayat Nova for example.

The past -- from medieval to antiquity -- as an insight into what can be said about their present is something that looks to be common to both.

Imagined losses.