
SCREENING
Parajanov: The Last Spring
Saturday, Jul 6, 2024 at 6:00 pm
Location: Redstone Theater
Part of 100 Years of Parajanov
Introduced by filmmaker Martiros M. Vartanov
Dir. Mikhail Vartanov. 1992, 60 mins. Armenia/U.S. 4K DCP from a restoration by UCLA Film and Television Archive in collaboration with the Parajanov-Vartanov Institute. Following his 1969 debut film The Color of the Armenian Land, Vartanov saw his artistic freedom restricted for 20 years. Upon redemption from the state, he made Minas: A Requiem (1989) and his highly regarded final masterpiece Parajanov: The Last Spring, now newly restored in 4K. Filmed in war-torn, blockaded Armenia and edited by candlelight, the film is a wordless montage vividly expressing the two artists’ friendship while Parajanov was imprisoned by the Soviets. Francis Ford Coppola wrote that The Last Spring “exemplifies the power of art over any limitations.”
Preceded by
The Color of Armenian Land
Dir. Mikhail Vartanov. 1969, 16 mins. Soviet Union. DCP. Nonconformist cinematographer, writer, and director Vartanov was blacklisted for his debut, which portrayed his dissident friends Sergei Parajanov and the modernist Minas Avetisyan (who was likely assassinated by the KGB in 1975). Vartanov’s wordless film is an honest and artful homage to two great artists who represented a national legacy, situating them within the historical and cultural tradition of the region. This beautifully crafted film includes behind-the-scenes footage of Parajanov working on his landmark 1968 film The Color of Pomegranates.
Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership.
Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.