A Sentimental Journey to the Parajanov Planet

An intimate and visually captivating documentary portrait that explores the life and legacy of Sergei Parajanov—one of the most enigmatic and visionary artists in world cinema. The film intertwines two dimensions: the historical reality of Parajanov’s persecution—captured in KGB archival materials, interrogations, and court records—with the fantastical, surreal world of his art, in which puppets, collages, and marionettes come to life as a window into his creative soul. The film’s concept is rooted in Parajanov’s own creative endeavors during his imprisonment, when he handcrafted puppets and collages that he sent to his friends—Fellini, Tarkovsky, and Truffaut. These small artifacts, created during a time of personal suffering, became a means of communication and inner freedom. The choice of a puppet as the film’s main character is therefore both a tribute to Parajanov’s art and a symbolic gesture—it allows the viewer to glimpse the world through his eyes, in which reality and fantasy are inextricably intertwined. Parajanov’s life and work straddle the boundary between reality and myth, which the film transforms into a poetic cinematic essay. Combined with archival footage, memories from friends, and previously unreleased footage, A SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY TO THE PARAJANOV PLANET offers a new perspective on an artist whose work transcends time and cultural boundaries—and to this day continues to inspire admiration, provoke thought, and encourage deep reflection.