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Sergei Parajanov

セルゲイ・パラジャーノフ

Serugei Parajanofu

Aliases: Sergo Parajanov / Sergei Paradzhanov / Sergei Paradjanov

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1924-01-09 （Tiflis, Georgian SSR, Soviet Union）
Died
1990-07-20 （Yerevan, Armenian SSR, Soviet Union） age 66
Nationality
Armenian, Soviet
Languages
Russian, Ukrainian, Armenian, Georgian
Residence History
Tbilisi, Georgia → Moscow, Russia → Kyiv, Ukraine → Yerevan, Armenia

Career

Occupations
Film director, Screenwriter
Active Years
1951-1990
Affiliations
Dovzhenko Film Studios
Influenced By
Igor Savchenko, Alexander Dovzhenko, Andrey Tarkovsky, Pier Paolo Pasolini
Influenced
Theo Angelopoulos, Béla Tarr, Mohsen Makhmalbaf

Education

Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography
Directing Department / Directing
Period: 1940年代後半
Country: Soviet Union
Studied under Igor Savchenko and Alexander Dovzhenko
Tbilisi State Conservatoire
Music
Period: 1940年代
Country: Georgia
Studied music but ran away
Moscow Conservatory
Voice
Period: 1945年
Country: Soviet Union
Studied with Nina Dorliak

Awards

Shevchenko National Prize
1991
Organization: State of Ukraine
Result: 受賞
National Legend of Ukraine
2024
Organization: President of Ukraine
Result: 受賞
Mar del Plata Film Festival
Work: Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

1965 Poetic film

His first major work diverging from socialist realism, gaining international acclaim.

Carpathian folklorePoetic imagery

The Color of Pomegranates

1969 Poetic biographical film

Biographical poem about Armenian poet Sayat-Nova. Banned by Soviet authorities, considered one of the greatest films ever made.

SymbolismArmenian culture

The Legend of Suram Fortress

1985 Folktale film

Based on Daniel Chonkadze's novella. His return to cinema after imprisonment.

Georgian folktaleSacrifice

Ashik Kerib

1988 Folktale film

Based on Mikhail Lermontov's story, set in Azerbaijani culture. Dedicated to Tarkovsky.

Wandering minstrelDreams

Bibliography

  • Moldavian Tale
  • Andriesh
  • Dumka
  • The First Lad
  • Natalya Uzhviy
  • Golden Hands
  • Ukrainian Rhapsody
  • Flower on the Stone
  • Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
  • Kyiv Frescoes
  • Hakob Hovnatanian
  • Children to Komitas
  • The Color of Pomegranates
  • The Legend of Suram Fortress
  • Arabesques on the Pirosmani Theme
  • Ashik Kerib
  • The Confession

Style & Themes

Literary Style
PoeticNon-linearSymbolicVisual-centric
Recurring Motifs
FolkloreCultural symbolsFantasy

Health

  • Lung cancer
    1990年
    Cause of death.

Legacy

Widely considered one of the greatest filmmakers of all time, known for poetic, symbolic films influencing many directors.

Museums

  • Sergei Parajanov Museum Yerevan, Armenia Opened in 1980
  • Parajanov House Museum Tbilisi, Georgia

Archives

  • Parajanov-Vartanov Institute, Hollywood

In Popular Culture

  • Lady Gaga's '911' video references The Color of Pomegranates
  • Madonna's 'Bedtime Story' video influenced
  • R.E.M.'s 'Losing My Religion' video influenced

Quotes

  • Everyone knows that I have three motherlands. I was born in Georgia, worked in Ukraine and I'm going to die in Armenia.
    Source: 1988 interview (1988)
  • Whoever tries to imitate me is lost.

Trivia

  • Born to Armenian parents; as child swallowed jewelry to hide from authorities.
  • Arrested in 1948 for homosexuality, served 3 months.
  • Sentenced to 5 years in 1973 for homosexuality and pornography, released after 4.
  • Petitioned by Tarkovsky, Fellini, etc. for release.
  • Created dolls and collages in prison.