Lecture 'The Century of Paradjanov'

In 2024, the centenary of the birth of Sergei Parajanov (1924–1990) is observed. At a lecture dedicated to this outstanding director, his biographer and journalist Igor Obolensky will speak. Parajanov, a laureate of many awards, left a significant mark on world cinema, creating such films as “The Color of Pomegranates” and “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors.” Who was he really? A director? An artist? A screenwriter? Above all, he was a storyteller! In his youth, Sergei studied at a conservatory, worked at a factory making Christmas ornaments, but over time he became a director whose works captivate audiences around the world. When Parajanov was imprisoned, Federico Fellini signed letters in his defense. Prison authorities asked who it was, and Parajanov replied: my brother, Fedor Fellini—we have one grandmother. He also courted his future wife by giving her huge bouquets of white peonies and showering her with flowers right out in the street. Their relationship, however, ended because Svetlana described him as charming but unbearable.

When Liliya Brik fell into depression, friends decided that only Parajanov could cheer her up. He came to Moscow and won over Liliya Yuryevna, who later did everything possible to secure Sergei’s release from prison, shares Igor Obolensky. Obolensky, the author of a documentary film about Parajanov, knows many surprising stories about the director. We will recall his most famous films and try to recreate the atmosphere of his time. Igor Obolensky is a writer, journalist, and television host. He has written more than one hundred interviews with key cultural figures, books about Sviatoslav Richter, Boris Pasternak, Yuri Nagibin, and Robert Falk, as well as a collection of essays about famous women of the 20th century. He has also created documentary films and original lecture series, and is the author and host of the documentary TV series “The Place of Genius.”