The 100th anniversary of Armenian Film Director Sergei Parajanov will be celebrated at IArt
Gallery in Tbilisi on January 9 from 19:00-23:30.
Parajanov is an artist and film director born in Tbilisi in 1924 of Armenian descent and is widely
known for his work in Soviet cinematography. His unique style and approach to art allowed his
films to become famous throughout Ukraine, Armenia, and Georgia, which is why an exhibition
will be held in his favor. The event is called “Parajanov: The Power of Intention” and will have
different works of his on showcase along with a book presentation and food.
“Let Parajanov’s works transport you to a realm where creativity knows no bounds and where the
human spirit is set free to explore the depths of emotion and expression,” is written on the
event’s Facebook page.
The event is 30 GEL to attend, and the itinerary will have visitors occupied the whole night.
Starting at 7pm will be four areas for guests to participate in and view. One is a buffet hosted
by “Old Yerevan Restaurant” for everyone to enjoy, and then there will be an exhibition of
collages that feature Parajanov’s works that have been collected by people in Tbilisi and pieces
of household items that relate to Parajanov’s life and work.
Next will be a showcase of Parajanov’s life through the lens of Yuri Mechitov who captured the
life and work of the artist until Parajanov died in 1990. The last exhibition will be “Parajanov
and AI” which is a series of digital works created from Parajanov’s films in cooperation with
artificial intelligence. Almagul Menlibayeva and Giorgio da Vita are the curators of the AI
segment, which is aimed to tie together the artist's traditional techniques with technology,
symbolizing Parajanov’s experience as a pioneer in the field of art and innovation.
At 8pm the other events will kick off, starting with an introduction to the event and words from
the organizers. Following from 8:30-8:50 will be a short performance dedicated to Parajanov
from Armen Hovhannisyan’s Marionette Theater (a puppet show that incorporates some of
Parajanov’s style). Then, afterward, there will be a presentation of the book “Unknown
Parajanov” by Jose Madjinere where he will showcase collage works by Parajanov and pieces
from the documentary “Ekkehard Maas about Sergo Parajanov.”
The final two events of the night will start to commence at 9:20, with an immersive performance
called “Fantasies on a Theme of Parajanov”. This show will have music created by Araik
Vietinghoff and Guram Machavariani, dance choreographed by Anastasia Kononchuk, and
production work done by George Morieli. Lastly, from 9:45 to 10:15 will be a screening of the
art film “Sketches on Parajanov” directed by George Davitashvili in 1996, photo directed by
Albert Yavuryan, and starring Zhirayr Dadasyan, 1996, 26 min.
Parajanov was a trendsetter for his time in the cinematographic and art world. He was born in
Tbilisi, then later in life went to study at VGIK, the Gerasimov Institute of Cinematography in
1945 which was deemed as the first and oldest film school in the world. Then, in 1952 he started
his career as a director in Kyiv.
Because of Parajanov’s ideas and “rebellious” spirit, he was imprisoned, which is when he
shifted from film to art, specifically collages. While he was in jail, he created more than 800
pieces of art. For some, his work can be split up into three categories because of the change in
his themes: before jail, in jail, and after jail.
Parajanov can be most recognized by two of his films that were known to make an imprint on the
world of cinema. The first is “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” made in 1965, which is
commonly known as “Wild Horses of Fire” in foreign countries. This film contrasted with a
socialist government, which helped lead him to his ban on making films in the Soviet Union.
The other film he’s widely known for is “The Color of Pomegranates” directed in 1969. This
film was banned in the Soviet Union for its content; however, it won numerous awards at
festivals and many people know Parajanov because of it. According to Armenia Discovery, both
films are on the “watch” list for Harvard.
Parajanov claims to have never had one homeland but instead looked to Georgia, Ukraine, and
Armenia for the time and connections he had in each country. “Parajanov: The Power of
Intention” will celebrate his life and achievements, and each guest will commemorate him with a
glass of pomegranate wine. The organizers of the event are George Davitashvili and Ekaterina
Minasyan.
By Shelbi R. Ankiewicz
