Sergei Parajanov

So, has anyone here actually heard of this director? Like, have you guys sat down and watched any of his stuff?
I've caught bits and pieces about him here and there—heard the hype—but I still haven't managed to sit through a single one of his films. Honestly, I'd love to hear what the real cinephiles in here think...🙂

Parajanov is absolute fire
I just finished watching Sayat-Nova (The Color of Pomegranates)

Man, trying to track this down is a total nightmare, it's driving me insane

It’s such a moody, intimate vibe... there isn't even much dialogue
It’s basically just pure visuals paired with music, haha

Bottom line: if you can find a way to get it, it's 100% worth it

Honestly, I was pretty shocked to see someone actually bringing up stuff like this on this forum. I literally just logged on to see what the deal was, and I never expected to stumble upon this kind of talk, lol

Later

I have to admit, I actually drifted off halfway through watching this movie... 🙂 But look, there’s no denying he’s a brilliant visualist—honestly, he probably should have just stuck to photography full-time.

I remember his films being on TV back in the eighties—maybe they were part of some special series on Georgian cinema, I can't quite recall. He was ethnically Armenian, though he did most of his work in Georgia. I’ve seen plenty of his stuff, but Sayat-Nova (The Color of Pomegranates) remains the most captivating experience for me; it’s this mesmerizing sequence of images and symbols, almost static at times, yet absolutely saturated with folk motifs... truly stunning. Honestly, the only film that even remotely reminds me of Parajanov is Pasolini's Medea.

And honestly, once you’ve been spoon-fed Hollywood blockbusters your whole life, Parajanov can feel pretty tedious, haha

But man, there are some heavy, incredible things hidden behind those thousand layers of fog that might look boring at first glance

I mean, you have to admit, if you actually grew up in Armenia, this movie would be an absolute masterpiece—provided you don't fall asleep. It's a tribute to his people and their culture, something we just can't fully wrap our heads around in a single sitting

It’s the classic struggle between mainstream fluff and actual quality
I think I heard someone say a genius line about this on PBS last Sunday, something along those lines, haha

The chaotic thing about the US is that it's so hard to even find films like this. And then when you finally do, half the people call it "boring" because they just haven't developed the patience or the taste for this kind of cinema, but that's a whole other conversation

Forget those old video rental stores, haha

Man, yeah

if anyone happens to have a download link for the soundtrack from this movie, please drop it here

I listened to it just once

and I'll never listen to it again

it was just awful.

Seriously, please...

Kevin Ortiz6 said:I guess once we get used to Hollywood, Parajanov just feels boring, haha.

Listen, kid,
first off—*Death in Venice* isn't really my thing. And Thomas Mann? He’s nowhere near the top tier of my favorite authors. As for Luchino Visconti, I much prefer his early neorealist stuff like *Obsession* or *La Terra Trema*; that later bourgeois decadence just doesn't resonate with me. Regarding Parajanov—his specific brand of cinematic lyricism simply didn't click for me. So, feel free to drop those assumptions about my film education. ☕

hey man
it wasn't even directed at you
I was just speaking in general terms
no need to get all defensive right away, haha
honestly, I've never been much of a fan of those Italian film crews either; you basically just give them a quick glance if you want to feel a little more cultured

Bernardo Bertolucci is easily the absolute worst trash this country has ever produced—if nothing else, it’s because of his garbage film "The Dreamers."

Man, I actually had "Ashug-Karibi" in my bag once—then some jerk swiped it right at the airport before I even realized it was gone... It was only like 5 bucks, so whatever, not a huge financial hit, but it honestly just sucks because I didn't even get to enjoy it properly first... anyway, if anyone happens to have one of his films they could stream or send my way, it would be absolutely legendary :klap: 🙂 🙂

I've got:

1964 - Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
1966 - Kyiv Frescoes
1968 - Sayat-Nova (The Color of Pomegranates)
1988 - Sayat-Nova (The Color of Pomegranates) 1988

These are all high-quality DVD rips, and I'm planning to pick up DVD The Legend of the Suram Fortress this weekend.
Shoot me a PM if you want any of these files.

I just finished watching The Color of Pomegranates, or Sayat-Nova...

The whole thing—if you can even call it a traditional movie (it feels more like a fever dream)—is basically one massive performance piece. It’s an entire showcase of Armenian heritage and culture distilled through the life and soul of a single poet... honestly, I’m struggling to figure out which genre box to shove this thing into. The camera stays totally static, while the actors act more like passing shadows drifting across the frame; I suppose that was meant to emphasize how tradition just flows seamlessly from one generation to the next...

To be blunt, it didn't really click for me. In fact, I found it pretty exhausting and, frankly, not all that groundbreaking (even Jean-Luc Godard would probably call it pretentious). Don't get me wrong, the colors are absolutely stunning and it makes Armenia look like a gorgeous place, but since I'm not Armenian, there wasn't anything in there that truly gripped me or made me feel like I had to bow down to it as some untouchable masterpiece...

...so, I'm moving on with the Parajanov marathon. Next up is Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors...

Sergei Parajanov

... purely because I can't stand that whole forced Russification nonsense aimed at pushing some Soviet agenda back in the day... so, what I wrote above is actually his original Armenian name, the one belonging to the director we all know as Parajanov.

So, I finally sat down with "Tjenu zabititi predkov," or "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors"...

Visually speaking, the thing is just stunning. It’s this gorgeous, lush exploration of folk customs and heritage from the Eastern European side of things, all wrapped up in a classic tale of love and tragedy. The camera work is masterfully handled, and there are these few incredibly striking, haunting scenes—like that sequence where they call forth the storm and it actually breaks—that just stick with you. Honestly, if you ask me, it’s a much more profound piece than the loud, overhyped "The Color of Pomegranates."

I also ended up watching a documentary about Parajanov called "Requiem." It follows him during his college days, where he talks about his time in prison and his whole philosophy on artistic expression. He’s actually hilarious when he starts explaining why Vladimir Lenin was essentially a born actor; he clearly has massive respect for the man's natural gift. He even refers to Pier Paolo Pasolini as a cinematic god. By the end, as he’s presenting his film "Ashik Kerib" in Munich, you can see how shaken he is—he’s practically on the verge of tears. He says he hopes to die soon and mentions that this will likely be his last film (which, looking back, was true). Then, with watery eyes and a trembling voice, he asks the audience for a minute of silence to honor the late Andrei Tarkovsky—keep in mind, Tarkovsky had been gone for nearly two years by then. The documentary wraps up with a shot of Parajanov and Tarkovsky together, which felt like a bit of an illogical creative choice to me, but still...