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I visited his house-musem in Yerevan this summer, and he has some very intriguing abstractish art.
One piece that caught my attention was a collage entitled "America through Lenin's eyes" and it had all US logos such as McDonalds, Exxon and so on, as well as pictures of the twin towers put upside down.
Maybe he was a member of Al-Qaeda and knew about the whole thing!
Here's the article, enjoy!
************************************************** *
The Daily Star, Bangladesh
Jan 10 2004
Cinema
Tribute to Paradjanov, painter of the celluloid
Zahir Raihan Film Society screens three films to mark the 80th birth
anniversary of filmmaker Sergei Paradjanov
Sabbir Chowdhury
The cinema, like heaven, has many mansions, and that occupied by
Sergei Paradjanov is a very rich one indeed." - That is how film
critic Liam O'Leary pays his tribute to this cinematic genius.
Paradjanov is known as the painter of the celluloid for his rich
visuals imbued with folk art and legends. He has rewritten the
history of abstract cinema with his 'four' feature films he made
during the period of 38 years.
Due to the non-cooperation and oppression of the authority, he could
only make four feature films from 1964 to 1988. He does not consider
the films made before 1964 as 'proper films' in his standard. It was
in 1964 that his name spread all over the world as a master filmmaker
with the international release of his sublimely beautiful masterpiece
Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors. It is a tragic love story that
poetically recreated the folklore and traditions of a Carpathian
village in Ukraine. It reveals a sensitive feeling for nature and
landscape. It won many international awards and the whole world
started looking towards him in appreciation.
His 'second' feature The Colour of Pomegranates was made in 1969, but
he was forced to abandon the editing. The film, however, was edited
by another filmmaker, Sergei Yutkevich and was released in 1971. It
is dedicated to the 18th century Armenian poet Arution Sayadian known
as Sayat Nova. It uses excellently the traditionally picturesque
Armenian places and landscapes. It also uses colourful Armenian
costumes, robes and musical instruments to have a mystical and
surrealistic effect.
The Legend of the Suram Fortress was made in 1984. It is a series of
episodes integrated in mood and feeling and characteristically poetic
in approach.
His last film Ashik Kerib (1988) is dedicated to Andrei Tarkovsky,
the world renowned Russian filmmaker and tells the tale of Ashik, a
Turkish minstrel and his frustrated love. The visuals are exquisitely
breathtaking and his adherence to rich style typical of his films is
very much visible.
It is a pity that Paradjanov could not make more than 'four' feature
films in his career. He was accused by the authority of having
practised immoral activities and illegal trafficking of old and
valuable antiques. He was sentenced to several years' imprisonment.
But due to international protest, the authority had to release him
from jail.
Sergei Paradjanov was born on 9th January 1924 in Tiflis (Tbilisi),
in the then Soviet Georgia. He studied music for four years
(1942-45). Then, he went to Moscow Film Institute, from where he
graduated in 1951. Moldavian Fairy Tale (1951) was his graduation
filwm, though short in length. He had made several films before 1964,
but disowns these films. Paradjanov died in Yerevan, Armenia, of
cancer, on 20th July 1990.
Zahir Raihan Film Society, in association with the Russian Cultural
Centre in Dhaka, will screen three famous feature films made by
Paradjanov and thus, will pay its tribute to this great filmmaker.
These films will be screened at the auditoruim of the Russian
Cultural Centre at Road No. 7, Dhanmondi as per schedule given below:
Sunday, 11 January: A Chef in Love by Nana Djordjadze at 4:30 pm and
The Colour of Pomegranates by Sergei Paradjanov at 6:30 pm.
Monday, 12 January: The Legend of the Suram Fortress by Sergei
Paradjanov at 5:00 pm and Ashik Kerib by Sergei Paradjanov at 6:30
pm.
Sabbir Chowdhury, a film activist and critic, teaches in the
department of English at Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka.
One piece that caught my attention was a collage entitled "America through Lenin's eyes" and it had all US logos such as McDonalds, Exxon and so on, as well as pictures of the twin towers put upside down.
Maybe he was a member of Al-Qaeda and knew about the whole thing!
Here's the article, enjoy!
************************************************** *
The Daily Star, Bangladesh
Jan 10 2004
Cinema
Tribute to Paradjanov, painter of the celluloid
Zahir Raihan Film Society screens three films to mark the 80th birth
anniversary of filmmaker Sergei Paradjanov
Sabbir Chowdhury
The cinema, like heaven, has many mansions, and that occupied by
Sergei Paradjanov is a very rich one indeed." - That is how film
critic Liam O'Leary pays his tribute to this cinematic genius.
Paradjanov is known as the painter of the celluloid for his rich
visuals imbued with folk art and legends. He has rewritten the
history of abstract cinema with his 'four' feature films he made
during the period of 38 years.
Due to the non-cooperation and oppression of the authority, he could
only make four feature films from 1964 to 1988. He does not consider
the films made before 1964 as 'proper films' in his standard. It was
in 1964 that his name spread all over the world as a master filmmaker
with the international release of his sublimely beautiful masterpiece
Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors. It is a tragic love story that
poetically recreated the folklore and traditions of a Carpathian
village in Ukraine. It reveals a sensitive feeling for nature and
landscape. It won many international awards and the whole world
started looking towards him in appreciation.
His 'second' feature The Colour of Pomegranates was made in 1969, but
he was forced to abandon the editing. The film, however, was edited
by another filmmaker, Sergei Yutkevich and was released in 1971. It
is dedicated to the 18th century Armenian poet Arution Sayadian known
as Sayat Nova. It uses excellently the traditionally picturesque
Armenian places and landscapes. It also uses colourful Armenian
costumes, robes and musical instruments to have a mystical and
surrealistic effect.
The Legend of the Suram Fortress was made in 1984. It is a series of
episodes integrated in mood and feeling and characteristically poetic
in approach.
His last film Ashik Kerib (1988) is dedicated to Andrei Tarkovsky,
the world renowned Russian filmmaker and tells the tale of Ashik, a
Turkish minstrel and his frustrated love. The visuals are exquisitely
breathtaking and his adherence to rich style typical of his films is
very much visible.
It is a pity that Paradjanov could not make more than 'four' feature
films in his career. He was accused by the authority of having
practised immoral activities and illegal trafficking of old and
valuable antiques. He was sentenced to several years' imprisonment.
But due to international protest, the authority had to release him
from jail.
Sergei Paradjanov was born on 9th January 1924 in Tiflis (Tbilisi),
in the then Soviet Georgia. He studied music for four years
(1942-45). Then, he went to Moscow Film Institute, from where he
graduated in 1951. Moldavian Fairy Tale (1951) was his graduation
filwm, though short in length. He had made several films before 1964,
but disowns these films. Paradjanov died in Yerevan, Armenia, of
cancer, on 20th July 1990.
Zahir Raihan Film Society, in association with the Russian Cultural
Centre in Dhaka, will screen three famous feature films made by
Paradjanov and thus, will pay its tribute to this great filmmaker.
These films will be screened at the auditoruim of the Russian
Cultural Centre at Road No. 7, Dhanmondi as per schedule given below:
Sunday, 11 January: A Chef in Love by Nana Djordjadze at 4:30 pm and
The Colour of Pomegranates by Sergei Paradjanov at 6:30 pm.
Monday, 12 January: The Legend of the Suram Fortress by Sergei
Paradjanov at 5:00 pm and Ashik Kerib by Sergei Paradjanov at 6:30
pm.
Sabbir Chowdhury, a film activist and critic, teaches in the
department of English at Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka.
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