Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964) ( Tini zabutykh predkiv ) ( Wild Horses of Fire )

Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964) (DVD) (*)

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Original Title: Tini zabutykh predkiv
Alternate Title: Wild Horses of Fire
Language Selections:
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Subtitles )

Product Origin/Format:
France ( PAL/Region 0 )

Running Time:
92 min

Aspect Ratio:
Fullscreen

Special Features:
Biographies
Featurette
Interactive Menu
Production Notes
Scene Access

Movie filmed in 1964 and produced in:
Soviet Union ( Russia, Eastern Europe )

Directed By:
Sergei Parajanov

Written By:
Ivan Chendej
Mikhaylo Koysyubinskiy

Actors:
Ivan Mikolajchuk ..... Ivan
Larisa Kadochnikova ..... Marichka
Tatyana Bestayeva ..... Palagna
Spartak Bagashvili ..... Yurko
Nikolai Grinko ..... Batag
Leonid Yengibarov ..... Miko
Nina Alisova ..... Paliychuk
Aleksandr Gaj ..... Paliychuk (as O. Gaj)
Neonila Gnepovskaya ..... Gutenyuk
A. Raydanov ..... Gutenyuk
I. Dzyura ..... Ivan as a Child
V. Glyanko ..... Marichka as a Child
O. Ryazanov

Synopsis:

Along with Tarkovsky and Dovzhenko, Sergei Paradjanov is one of the most important Soviet directors of last century. Paradjanov, who was periodically jailed and exiled because of his work, stunned world audiences in 1964 with his Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors, popularly known as the Romeo and Juliet of the Carpathians. The film is set among the Hutsul people of the Western Ukraine, an isolated ethnic group who live in the upper reaches of the mountain range. Their lives take place within a harsh environment and an ornate cultural system little changed since the 18th century. The film opens with the deaths of Ivanko's brother, Olexa, crushed by a tree, and father, Pyotr Pavlichuk, killed outside of church by his rich neighbor Guteniuk. During the funeral procession for his father, Ivanko meets Guteniuk's daughter, Marichka, and the stage is set for the star-crossed lovers. Structured episodically, the film checks in with Ivanko and Marichka as they fall in love and age towards adulthood. Finally of an age to marry, Ivanko finds himself unable, having been reduced to poverty by his father's death. Forced to work as a hired hand, he must leave his village and his beloved Marichka. Tragedy ensues and the remainder of the film concerns Ivanko's private and subtle dissolution as a result of this tragedy.

Soviet filmmaker Sergei Paradjanov burst into international recognition in 1964 with the release of Tini Zabutykh Predkiv (aka Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors), a widely acclaimed screen adaptation of Mikhaylo Kotsyubinsky's stories about life and love in the Western Ukraine. In 1969, Paradjanov created another masterwork with Tsvet Granata (aka The Color of Pomegranates or Red Pomegranate), but while many directors so gifted would have a long and successful career ahead of them, it was Paradjanov's poor fortune to be living in the Soviet Union. Soviet leaders made no secret of their dislike for Paradjanov's themes, or their belief that his style did not reflect a proper Soviet creative viewpoint. Tsvet Granata was never released outside of Armenia until 1977 when a smuggled print was screened in Paris. By that time, Paradjanov had not only been prevented from making films, but had been imprisoned on false charges for several years, and while international attention to his plight led to his release in 1978, it wasn't until 1985 that he was able to make another movie. He completed three more features before succumbing to cancer in 1990. I Died in Childhood ... is a documentary directed by Georgiy Paradjanov, Sergei Paradjanov's nephew, who chronicles his uncle's life and times, and his struggle to win his freedom and express himself through his art. Along with interviews, rare photographs, and samples of Paradjanov's artwork, the film also includes rarely seen excerpts from The Confession, his final uncompleted picture.

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 29 July, 2018.