TEHRAN – The Cinema Museum of Iran in Tehran will host the program “Three Days with Parajanov” to review three of the most important films by the acclaimed Soviet director.

The program is set to be held from September 7 to 9. Arthur Martirosyan, deputy minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, will attend the opening ceremony, Honaronline reported.

Sergei Parajanov (1924-1990) was a Soviet film director and screenwriter. His films are known for their poetic, non-linear, and symbolic nature. Widely considered by filmmakers, film critics, and film historians to be one of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time, he has been described as a “magician,” a “master,” and a “conjurer of cinematic worlds”.

On September 7, the first day of the program, “The Color of Pomegranates,” one of the filmmaker's most important and influential works, will be screened. After the screening, a review session will be held with the presence of the researcher and film critic Robert Safarian.

The 1969 Soviet Armenian avant-garde film “The Color of Pomegranates” is a poetic treatment of the life of 18th-century Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat-Nova. The film is regarded as a landmark in cinema history and was met with widespread acclaim among filmmakers and critics. It is often considered one of the greatest films ever made.

On the second day of the program, September 8, “The Lovelorn Minstrel” will be shown. This film is also considered one of Parajanov's signature works. After the film screening, Ramtin Shahbazi, a well-known movie critic, will analyze and review the film in a specialized session.

“The Lovelorn Minstrel” is a 1988 Soviet art film directed by Dodo Abashidze and Parajanov that is based on the short story of the same name by Mikhail Lermontov. It was Parajanov's last completed film and was dedicated to his close friend Andrei Tarkovsky, who had died two years previously. The film also features a detailed portrayal of Azerbaijani culture.

On the final day of the program, September 9, “The Legend of Suram Fortress” will be screened, and the final session of this series will be held with the presence of filmmaker Anahid Abad.

“The Legend of the Suram Fortress” is a 1985 Soviet art film directed by Parajanov and Georgian actor Dodo Abashidze. Parajanov's first film after 15 years of censorship in the Soviet Union, it is a film stylistically linked with his earlier “The Color of Pomegranates”. The film consists of a series of tableaux; once again, minimal dialogue is used; the film abounds in surreal, almost oneiric power.

Parajanov's films will be screened, during these three days, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Ferdows Hall of the Cinema Museum.

The Cinema Museum of Iran is located in Tehran’s upscale Bagh-e-Ferdows neighborhood, Valiasr St., near Tajrish Square.

SS/