{"product_id":"the-cinema-of-sergei-parajanov-by-james-steffen","title":"The Cinema of Sergei Parajanov by James Steffen","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSergei Parajanov (1924–90) flouted the rules of both filmmaking and society in the Soviet Union and paid a heavy personal price. An ethnic Armenian in the multicultural atmosphere of Tbilisi, Georgia, he was one of the most innovative directors of postwar Soviet cinema. Parajanov succeeded in creating a small but marvellous body of work whose style embraces such diverse influences as folk art, medieval miniature painting, early cinema, Russian and European art films, surrealism, and Armenian, Georgian, and Ukrainian cultural motifs.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Cinema of Sergei Parajanov\u003c\/em\u003e is the first English-language book on the director's films and the most comprehensive study of his work. James Steffen provides a detailed overview of Parajanov's artistic career: his identity as an Armenian in Georgia and its impact on his aesthetics; his early films in Ukraine; his international breakthrough in 1964 with\u003cem\u003e Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors\u003c\/em\u003e; his challenging 1969 masterpiece, \u003cem\u003eThe Color of Pomegranates\u003c\/em\u003e, which was re-edited against his wishes; his unrealised projects in the 1970s; and his eventual return to international prominence in the mid-to-late 1980s with \u003cem\u003eThe Legend of the Surami Fortress \u003c\/em\u003eand \u003cem\u003eAshik-Kerib\u003c\/em\u003e. Steffen also provides a rare, behind-the-scenes view of the Soviet film censorship process and tells the dramatic story of Parajanov's conflicts with the authorities, culminating in his 1973–77 arrest and imprisonment on charges related to homosexuality.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eUltimately, the figure of Parajanov offers a fascinating case study in the complicated dynamics of power, nationality, politics, ethnicity, sexuality, and culture in the republics of the former Soviet Union. A Mellon Slavic Studies Initiative Book.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePaperback\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Pushkin House Bookshop","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57274104807802,"sku":null,"price":22.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0510\/3406\/3009\/files\/9780299296544.jpg?v=1789557393","url":"https:\/\/shop.pushkinhouse.org\/products\/the-cinema-of-sergei-parajanov-by-james-steffen","provider":"Pushkin House Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}