Parajanov the Magician

Today I would like to introduce an outstanding, though little known film director. Every seasoned film enthusiast would have heard of the great Soviet director, Andrei Tarkovsky, but not many may know his good friend Sergei Parajanov (1924-1990), who was so loathed by the Soviet authorities, that he spent much time in prison. The first time he was arrested was in 1948, for "homosexual acts", although his friends claim that it was really because of his rebellious views. Even when not in jail, his life was not easy. Parajanov's first wife, Nigyar Kerimove, whom he married in 1950, was murdered shortly after by her Tartar Muslim relatives for having converted to Christianity in order to marry him. Parajanov was arrested again 1973 and sentenced to five years hard labour (of which he served four), in Siberia. Many of the greatest film directors of the time sprang to his defence and Tarkovsky wrote an impassioned letter to the Central Committee of the Communist Party, highlighting, amongst other thing, the distinction of his friend:

"In the last ten years Sergei Paradjanov has made only two films: Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors and The Colour of Pomegranates. They have influenced cinema first in Ukraine, second in this country as a whole, and third in the world at large. Artistically, there are few people in the entire world who could replace Paradjanov. He is guilty – guilty of his solitude. We are guilty of not thinking of him daily and of failing to discover the significance of a master."

The director was once arrested again in 1982 and though he was released after a year, his health had suffered considerably as a consequence. In 1985 he released The Legend of Suram Fortress, which was widely acclaimed. Parajanov died of cancer aged 66 while working on his last film, The Confession. As he had predicted, he died in Armenia:

"Everyone knows that I have three Motherlands. I was born in Georgia, worked in Ukraine and I'm going to die in Armenia."

A joint condolence telegram by many of the greatest artists of the time was sent to Russia, it read:

"The world of cinema has lost a magician."

Parajanov's films are dreamy, but vivid; simple, but profound and haunting. Here are two of his best, The Legend of Suram Fortress and The Colour of Pomegranates: