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Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors + Kyiv Frescoes
A brand-new restoration of one of the most internationally acclaimed Ukrainian films, a highly colourful and beguiling mix of folklore, dream-like mysticism and religious iconography. Shot in the Carpathian Mountains in southwestern Ukraine, with a local cast, crew and artists, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is the visually stunning tale of young lovers Ivan and Marishka, caught up in a family feud.
The film brought Parajanov international acclaim and was a bold assertion of Ukraianian heritage at a time of ‘Russification’ – Moscow’s attempts to homogenise the varied cultures of the USSR’s republics; Parajanov notably refused to dub the film into Russian.
Restored by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre and in association with the Dovzhenko Film Studio. Special thanks to Daniel Bird and Łukasz Ceranka. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
+ Kyiv Frescoes Dir: Sergei Parajanov. 1966. 14 mins.
What was supposed to become a feature-length film about the aftermath of WWII in contemporary Kyiv, only exists today as a series of screen tests collaged together by Parajanov after the production was terminated by the Russian authorities and they destroyed all his negatives.
Screening Introduced by Daniel Bird.