Sergei Parajanov

 Sergei Parajanov




Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965)

The Color of Pomegranates (1969)




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2. Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965)

Released in 1965, Sergei Parajanov's "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" refuses to limit itself creatively. The openness of its visual concepts and camerawork elevate the seemingly simple story to something other-worldly. The film feels like it completely reinvents the wheel and demonstrates the level of freeness of a film camera. Its story is about a lost ancestor of the Ukrainian mountains. Its told as if it were some forgotten dream or memory, but shot as if the viewer were a deity fully engulfing them. The level of abstraction in concrete, tactile events leaves the viewer feeling as if they were watching a dreamscape. Yet, Parajanov's camera films these wistful events as a contemporary filmmaker with an iPhone camera to almost proto-Malickian effects. The handheld camera allows Parajanov to venture around his subjects in a completely dimensional environment, allowing the viewer to feel as if they were present. The style, tone, and experimentation of "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" make it an unforgettable experience.



1. The Color of Pomegranates (1969)


Although it is not exactly a biographical narrative, Sergei Parajanov's 1969 film "The Color of Pomegranates" revolves around the life and work of iconic Armenian poet Sayat-Nova. The film is nothing but colorful, strange, avant-garde imagery that is meant to reflect the style of Sayat-Nova's poetry. Regardless of the viewer's knowledge of the famed Armenian poet, the film still is inviting interpretation. The barrage of engaging images are abstractions that beg to be understood through the viewer's own subjective understanding. Despite this being an artistic triumph, the film was censored by Soviet states who felt the ambiguity of the film could cause interpretations that would not align with state-sanctioned ideas, especially given the abundant religious imagery. Regardless of its attempted suppression and censoring, "The Color of Pomegranates" is a work of art that transcends narrative. It is celebrated by many as being one of the greatest films of all time, and for good reason.

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