"With the death of Parajanov cinema lost one of its magicians: Parajanov's fantasy will forever fascinate and bring joy to the people of the world"

Federico Fellini, Marcello Mastroiani, Tonino Guerra, Francesco Rosi, Alberto Moravia, Bernardo Bertolucci, Giulietta Mazina

"In the temple of the cinema there are images, light and reality. Sergej Parajanov was the master of that temple"

Jean Luc Godard

Parajanov (birth name Sarkis Parajanian) was born on the 9th of January 1924 to the Armenian family of Iosif Parajanian and Siranush Bejanian, in Tbilisi , Georgia , USSR .. In 1945 Parajanov traveled to Moscow and entered the directing department at VGIK (Cinema Institute). In 1950 Parajanov moved to Kiev , Ukraine where after a few documentaries and several narrative films he created the magnificent "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" (1964) which won countless international awards, including the British Academy Award.

However "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestor" didn't conform to Soviet film standards and Parajanov was immediately black listed.

Parajanov left for Armenia to film the documentary "Hakop Hovnatanian" and then in 1968 he created "Sayat Nova", an ultra-genius masterpiece that is far beyond any description. "Sayat Nova" was banned, re-edited and re-named "Color of Pomegranate." In December 1973, the Soviets arrested Parajanov, accused him of homosexuality and illegal smuggling of icons and other artworks, and sentenced him to five years in hard labor camps. A large group of world famous artists, filmmakers and activists protested and Parajanov was released, but only four horrific years later. Poet Louis Aragon's petition to the Soviet government was instrumental in Parajanov's release.

Parajanov returned to Tbilisi, but the regime continued to forbid him to make films. During and after prison he created collages, drawings and numerous other art works. In 1984, however, with the support of Georgian intellectuals, the government allowed Parajanov to create the multi-award winning "Legend of Suram Fortress" -- 15 long years after "Sayat Nova".

In 1986 Parajanov made yet another multi-award winning film, "Ashik Kerib," based on a tale by Mikhail Lermontov. Prison crushed Parajanov's health. He passed away in July of 1990 and left his final masterpiece "The Confession" unfinished. It survives in its original negative in "Parajanov. The Last Spring" (1992), a film by his closest friend, Mikhail Vardanov.

Parajanov fans Federico Fellini, Tonino Guerra, Francesco Rosi, Alberto Moravia, Giulietta Masina, Marcello Mastroianni and Bernardo Bertolucci were among those that grieved his death, yet today Sergei Parajanov is very little known. The few people who saw "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" or "Color of Pomegranate" are forever influenced by the unseen beauty created by an icon and genius.

(Excerpted from the web site http://www.imdb.com/)