Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors

USSR/1964—directed by Sergei Parajanov | 97 min.

One of the most beloved films of the Soviet era, Sergei Parajanov’s mind-blowing Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors is a visionary masterpiece that combines psychedelic folklore and ritual with staggering visual and narrative originality. 

Set in the Carpathian Mountains, it tells the story of Ivan and Marichka, star-crossed lovers whose families are embroiled in a feud. When Ivan marries another woman but continues to pine for Marichka, his wife recruits a sorcerer to win him back, setting off a frenzy of supernatural forces. Parajanov and his cinematographers conjure a magically charged atmosphere, bringing a folk legend to life in vivid colors. The result is a sensuous tour de force. 

This new 4K restoration was created by Martin Scorsese’s World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna, with funding from the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation. In Ukrainian with English subtitles.

“Extraordinary, intoxicating and exhilarating! One of the supreme works of Soviet cinema.” –Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader