Georgian films

[Jim Rader]

An amazing film in Georgian by Paradzhanov, cordirected by Dodo
Abashidze, is _Legenda Suramskoj kreposti_ (I don't know the Georgian
title).  It's in the dreamlike style of _Cvet granata_, but
Paradzhanov was back in official graces when it was made and the
production values and cinematography are first-rate. Sofiko Chiaureli
is in the cast.   I saw it around 1987 and was stunned by it.  I'd
like to see his last two films.

Jim Rader

> >
> > And then there was this amazing phenomenon of Sergej Paradzhanov, who I
> > believe was an Armenian who grew up in Tbilisi, but started his movie
> > career at the Dovzhenko studio in Kiev. (Cvet granata, Teni zabytyx
> > predkov).
> >
>
>         I have seen only "Tini zabutyh predkiv" ("The Shadows of Forgotten
> Ancestors") by Paradzhanov (as far as I can recall). It is an excellent
> movie, but the only thing that connects it to Georgia is that Paradzhanov
> grew up there.
>         Anyway, this would be a nice link to SEELangs, and the film is
> truely outstanding.
>
>         The indispensable IMDb shows that Paradzhanov, at the beginning of
> his career at Dovzhenko studio worked mainly on Ukrainian topics. This is
> what titles say: "Dumka," "Natalya Ushvij," "Ukrainian Rhapsody" &c.
>         However, the mentioned "Cvet granata" is about an Armenian poet,
> and his last movie is called "Ashik Kerib," about a minstrel and I recall
> somebody praising this movie. By the way, the screenwriter is a Georgian
> (Badridze), and Sofiko Chiaureli plays in the movie.
>
>                                                         Alexey
>