(Sayat Nova)
Dir: Sergei Parajanov. With: Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Alekyan. Armenia 1969. 77 mins. Armenian, Georgian with English subtitles
Following the international success of Shadows of our Forgotten Ancestors (1965), Sergei Parajanov was commissioned by Armenfilm Studios in Yerevan to make a film about the life of Sayat-Nova. Parajanov’s poetic treatment of the life of 18th-century Armenian poet and troubadour, eschews the conventional biopic, instead using active tableaux to depict the poet's life in chapters, creating a cinematic visualisation of Sayat-Nova’s poetry, mixing ethnic rituals with surrealistic happenings.
See Temple of Cinema #1: Sayat Nova Outtakes at Fabrica, 31st Oct – 10th Nov.
