Thu 1 – Sun 11 Apr
Hailed as a genius by the likes of Fellini, Antonioni and Tarkovsky, Paradjanov’s films are as allegorical and mysterious as Byzantine frescos, each a beautiful riot of small movements within his almost always static frames. His approach was a visual and thematic condemnation of socialist Realism and the soviet project in general, as a result he spent much of the 1970s in jail.
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (12)
Thu 1 Apr 7.30pm
The archetypal Ukrainian story of a young peasant who marries the daughter of his father’s killer, loses her, falls into a long spiral of sadness and then remarries, again with tragic results.
Dir. Sergei Paradjanov, USSR, 1964, 1h 13m, Subtitled
Introduced by Layla Garrett, season curator of the Paradjanov Festival.
The Legend of Suram Fortress (U)
Thu 8 Apr 7.30pm
Entrancing and inscrutable, this is the story of an ill-fated love that results in the victimized woman becoming an oracle and eventually demanding the son of her lover be entombed in the walls of a fortress for its safety.
Dirs. Sergei Paradjanov & Dodo Abashidze, Georgia/USSR, 1984, 1h 28m, Subtitled
Ashik Kerib (PG)
Fri 9 Apr 7.30pm
Paradjanov’s remarkable homage to Tarkovsky is a visual and sonic masterpiece. It relates the folk tale of Ashik Kerib who leaves his home town in search of the money for a dowry to marry his lover.
Dir. Sergei Paradjanov, Georgia/USSR, 1988, 1h 13m, Subtitled
Introduced by Kora Tsereteli, film historian, author and Paradjanov’s close friend.
The Colour of Pomegranates (U) + Paradjanovs Code (U)
Sun 11 Apr 2.30pm
Perhaps Paradjanov’s most accessible work, tracing the life of Armenian poet, Sayat Nova. This is one of the key films of sixties avant-garde cinema, but its style is a world away from realist/cinema verite films.
Dir. Sergei paradjanov, USSR, 1970, 1h 19m, Subtitled
Introduced by Levon Grigoryan, filmmaker, author and Paradjanov’s assistant on The Colour of Pomegranates. His documentary Paradjanov’s Code (2005) screens after the main feature.
