Parajanov Sergei

Parajanov Sergei (1924-1990), Film director of Armenian descent. Born in Tbilisi. In 1942 he entered the Construction Department of Tbilisi Railway and Transport Institute. In 1943 he continued his studies at the Faculty of Vocal Music of Tbilisi Conservatoire; simultaneously, he attended the classes at the Choreographic School of Tbilisi Opera and Ballet Theater. In 1954 he left for Moscow, where he graduated from the Faculty of Film Direction of All-Union State Institute of Cinematography. In 1952-73, he worked at the Kiev Films Studio named after A. Dovzhenko as a film director. In 1973 S. Parajanov was arrested. In 1978 he was dismissed from the Kiev Studio and returned to Tbilisi. In 1982 – 90 he worked at the ‘Georgia-Film’ Motion Pictures Studio.

S. Parajov was a film director with a unique vision. In 1964 he directed the film Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, which was released in France under the title Stallions of Fire. Along with other movies, he is the author of following films: The Color of Pomegranates (1968), Legend of Surami Fortress (1984), Arabesques on The Pirosmani Theme (1985), Ashik Kerib (1988).

S. Parajanov’s films won prizes, diplomas and awards of various international Film Festivals. In 1989 S. Parajanov began his work on Confession – an autobiographic film but fatal illness prevented him from completing it. S. Parajanov was simultaneously working on the film The Martyrdom of Shushanik, which was left also unfinished.

‘I am Tbilisian by nationality’, S. Parajanov used to say. He loved and honored the city of his birth.

S. Parajanov died in Yerevan. He was buried at the Yerevan Pantheon.