Sergei Paradzhanov: biography, filmography and personal life

Sergei Paradzhanov - unique for the Soviet era director. Although Soviet it can hardly be called, because in his entire long career, he never created a single socialist image, remaining true to the end of the true nature of man - feelings, emotions, internal expression. The art for this amazing person was the highest value in life, a kind of cult that he unconditionally worshiped.

early years

In a small house in Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, the future famous director and screenwriter Sergei Paradzhanov was born. His biography begins on January 9, 1924, when the mother, who was tired after prolonged tribal torment, was brought into her arms a small weeping lump. The boy grew up and was happy, as he did not need anything. His father was one of the wealthiest people in his city, had a lucrative business and many influential ties. In particular, he owned a network of antique shops and even managed to open a brothel under a very ambiguous name - "Family Corner". Mother actively helped her father in all his affairs: it was she who selected personnel for a prosperous brothel. Girls, by the way, were brought from France.

The years of "dekulakization" did not pass without a trace for the senior Parajanov. He lost many of his successful enterprises, but he managed to save the antiquarian business that was hereditary. He sincerely hoped that his son would follow in his footsteps. But Serezha firmly stated that he plans to enter the railway engineer.

Studying at the University

Possessing a pronounced artistic talent and not having any abilities for exact disciplines, Sergei did not spend a lot of time studying engineering. Paradzhanov after three years of unsuccessful struggle against the granite of science nevertheless turned to art. For some time he studied at the conservatory in Tbilisi, but after the war in 1945 he moved to Moscow. My father tried to persuade him, but he could not: his son firmly decided to become a filmmaker and enter the capital's VGIK.

As a student, Sergei fell in love with a Moldavian woman with Tatar roots - Nigar. They met for several months, then secretly got married. But this marriage was short and tragic. The girl's family had strict patriarchal customs and traditions: after learning that the woman had married without the consent of relatives, they came to Paradzhanov and demanded a ransom from him. Sergei did not have any money, his father, offended for his son's escape, was not going to lend him, and Nigar refused to leave her husband and return to the bosom of the family. Disgruntled relatives acted with an unruly girl, according to old customs, - they threw her under the train.

Carier start

Sergei Paradzhanov, whose personal life from the start failed, sent all his energy and forces into the creative channel. In 1952 he graduated from the directing courses of Igor Savchenko, a well-known and honored artist of the time. His diploma was the painting "The Moldovan Tale", which he graduated from a year earlier. As for the big cinema, then the debut of Parajanov was the film "Andries", filmed in 1954 at the Dovzhenko film studio. It was within the walls of this institution that the principal works of the director were subsequently created.

Having learned fully the wild Tatar-Moldovan traditions, Sergei decided not to marry women with eastern roots any more. Therefore, his second wife was the usual Ukrainian Sveta Shcherbatyuk. After three years of harmonious and quiet family life, she gave birth to his son - Suren. Despite the fact that the couple looked happy, their union broke up already in 1961. The woman always said that the reason for the divorce was the character of Parajanov: a creative person often behaved strangely, unpredictably and even insanely.

Crown of creativity

They, of course, became the film "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors". After the release in 1964 on the great screen, he was immediately called a masterpiece, and Sergei Paradjanov woke up famous. The picture amazed with animal sensuality, riot of rites, natural primordiality, love tragedy and light sadness. The creation of this philosophical parable, thoroughly permeated with religious motives, was unexpected for critics. After all, before the appearance of the picture, Sergei has been actively working in the field of cinema for 10 years, but so far his work has not been promised to a man of high profile and world recognition.

"Shadows ..." became just such. They caused a shock. The leitmotiv of the story of the tragic love of Ivan and Marichka was the play "Romeo and Juliet". That's only in contrast to Shakespeare's work, the theme of the feud of birth here has faded into the background, making room for the description of the life of the Hutsuls, their culture and traditions. The unusual picture was radically different from everything shot in the USSR. It also had a huge international success: it was appreciated at film festivals in Italy, Argentina and other countries.

«Color of a pomegranate» and other films

But Paradzhanov's creative achievements do not end here. In 1967, he was invited to the Yerevan Film Studio, where he took a picture about the great Armenian poet Sayat-Nova. It was called "Color of a pomegranate" and by its innovation went around even "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors". In it, every frame carries a semantic load, the color scale becomes as laconic as possible, and non-living objects play on a par with actors. The film can be compared to poetry, where heroes talk metaphors, and the stage scenes are filled with feelings and carry an emotional message. And if the "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors" is the crown of the director's creativity, then "The Color of a Pomegranate" is the culmination of his whole life.

In addition to these two paintings, a dozen more works were completed by Sergei Paradzhanov: the director's filmography consists of 16 films. In the fifties, the light was seen by the Moldovan fairy tale, Andriesh, Natalia Uzhviy, Golden Hands, Dumka and The First Guy. In the 60's Sergei worked on the "Ukrainian Rhapsody", "Flower on the Stone," "Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors," "Kiev Frescoes," "Hakob Hovnatanyan," "Children-Komitas" and "Pomegranate Color." After a ten-year hiatus due to persecution and imprisonment, "The legend of the Surami fortress", "Arabesques on Pirosmani theme" and "Ashik-Kerib" appeared on the screens.

Persecution and Arrest

By nature, Sergei Paradzhanov was a rebel: his films ran counter to the existing system, so the relationship between the director and the Soviet authorities did not always develop well. If we add to this his repeated appeals to the leadership of the party and requests to stop the persecution of prominent cultural and scientific figures, it is understandable why he became "objectionable" to the top of the CPSU. The last straw was the signature of Sergei Paradzhanov under a letter from intellectuals who in 1968 opposed political reprisals.

Due to an active civic position, the director became a bone in his throat for power. In 1973, her patience broke off and Parajanov was sentenced to 5 years in prison. At the same time, the articles selected the most "dirty" ones, making from their synthesis simply a rattling mixture - homosexuality with the use of violence. The reason was the statement of the director for the Belgian press, to which he said that many party figures wanted to achieve his location. It is clear that this was a metaphor or a joke, but for the investigative authorities of these words to initiate the case was enough.

Life after liberation

Director Sergei Paradzhanov was in a very difficult situation: the article on which he sat did not cause admiration of the prisoners, on the contrary, they were despised. Because of this, the man had a hard time in the zone. The only bright ray in this part of his life was the early release at the petition of many prominent cultural figures who organized an international protest. Louis Aragon himself, the world-famous French writer, personally appealed to Brezhnev with a request to amnesty Parajanov. In 1977, the director was released, while forbidding him to live and create on the territory of Ukraine. Paradzhanov went to his historic homeland - in Tbilisi, where he continued working at the film studio Georgia-Film. Then he shot two more feature films.

As for the sexual orientation of a man, nowadays the opinions of historians differ. The fact is that Sergei has repeatedly said about his weakness to the representatives of the stronger sex. But is it possible to believe this provocateur, amateur of shocking? If you take into account the stories of his friends, then there is a two-valued idea of Parajanov's personal life. They said: at joint gatherings, he then boasted of new love victories over the female sex, then hinted that he had seduced the young artist. Even the comrades to the end did not see the boundary between fiction and truth.

Last years

At the end of his life Sergei Paradzhanov came to his native city. Biographies of the director, namely her creative component, are destined to end where she began - in Tbilisi. Then he filmed his latest work - the tale of Mikhail Lermontov "Ashik-Kerib." The parable of class inequality and great love became partly autobiographical for the director. After that, Paradzhanov moved to Armenia. Here in Yerevan, in a house specially built for him, he died of lung cancer. It happened on July 20, 1990. At that time he worked on the picture "Confession", which, unfortunately, did not have time to finish. Subsequently, the original negative became part of the film about the life of the director Parajanov: The Last Spring.

Nowadays the house of Sergei Iosifovich has become a museum. This is one of the most visited places in Yerevan. In fact, Paradzhanov did not manage to live there. Despite this, the walls of the building radiate its energy. Visitors inspect his rich collection of collages and graphics, leaving home with full confidence that their author is a magician and a magician, a true talent and a mad genius.

Memory of Parajanov

He was admired not only by the women of the Soviet Union, but also by young ladies from abroad. Famous for the whole world the star of French cinema, Catherine Deneuve called Sergei the most brilliant director of all time and people. They were openly admired by the fatal beauty, one of the most intelligent ladies of Russia and Europe - Lilia Brik. Men also paid tribute to this talent. For example, Andrei Tarkovsky, despite his heavy character, highly respected Parajanov. He loved spending time in his company. Being very proud and stubborn, the first called him to agree on another meeting. Hating the noisy company, he tolerated them for the sake of a friend who was crazy about parties and loud gatherings.

The great Federico Fellini was also very fond of the director. As a sign of respect, he presented him with his wristwatch and some drawings. Sergei Paradzhanov wanted to answer him, presenting a black velvet robe, but this did not happen. In this apparel, designed for Fellini, the director was buried. This decision was taken by his nephew - George Parajanov. A relative, whom the great uncle called an idler and a parasite, years later, shot a brilliant film about his native city of Sergei Iosifovich - Tbilisi - under the symbolic title "Everyone's gone" ...