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Spain honors film director Vartanov

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  • Spain honors film director Vartanov

    Parajanov.com
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    http://www.parajanov.com

    P AMPLONA, SPAIN -- Government of Navarra, Spain, on February 5, 2010,
    opened a photography exhibition in the memory of the influential
    Armenian film director, cinematographer and essayist Mikhail Vartanov,
    who passed away on December 31st, 2009 in Hollywood, California. The
    exhibtion is held at the 16th century Condestable Palace and is part
    of the Punto de Vista International Documentary Film Festival of
    Navarra. I Will Wear Your Beret Papa is the title of the exhibition of
    black and white photographs by award-winning filmmaker and
    photographer Martiros Vartanov, and feature Mikhail Vartanov in his
    famous beret on the streets of Spain and his meetings there with
    Andrei Tarkovsky's sister, Marina Tarkovskaya, Jean Vigo's daughter,
    the film critic Luce Vigo, and the Russian filmmakers Aleksandr Gordon
    and Herz Frank during the Spanish premiere of Vartanov's Armenian
    masterpiece 'Parajanov: The Last Spring.'

    For more information and photos go to Puntodevista.navarra.es or
    Parajanov.com.

    Mikhail Vartanov (1937-2009) cemented his reputation as one of the
    most important Armenian intellectuals of his generation with a series
    of Russian language essays on Sergei Paradjanov, Artavazd Peleshian,
    Jean Carzou, and the collection of The Unmailed Letters. Vartanov was
    blacklisted for his debut documentary film, 'The Color of Armenian
    Land' (1969), in which he presented the ancient and modern art and
    history of Armenia through Martiros Saryan's silent commentary of
    gestures and the dissident artists Minas Avetisyan and Sergei
    Parajanov. Vartanov's next film, 'Autumn Pastoral' (1971), based on
    Artavazd Peleshian's screenplay and scored by composer Tigran
    Mansurian was shelved. For supporting Sergei Parajanov, Vartanov was
    fired from Armenfilm Studio in 1974, four months after Parajanov's
    imprisonment. Artavazd Peleshian and Gennadi Melkonian petitioned
    Armenian and Russian authorities to work with Vartanov and in 1975
    Vartanov filmed Artavazd Peleshian's classic film 'Seasons of the
    Year' and Melkonian's beloved comedy hit 'The Mulberry Tree' (Teteni)
    in 1979. Vartanov has also made with Armenian writers William Saroyan
    and Aghasi Avyazyan. Vartanov's last work in Armenia was the
    documentary trilogy 'Erased Faces' (1987), 'Minas: A Requiem' (1989)
    and 'Paradjanov: The Last Spring' (1992) which for 18 years holds the
    record for winning the first and the only Russian Academy of Cinema
    Arts Award for a film made in Armenia. Russian Academy Award is the
    most coveted professional cinema honor in the region (of the former
    Soviet republics). Vartanov dedicated his life to defending and
    supporting Sergei Paradjanov and embarked on a 2 decade long world
    tour with 'Parajanov: The Last Spring' until his last days in
    2009. Sergei Parajanov's favorite painter, the great Armenian artist
    Gayane Khachatryan wrote in 1993: 'On January 9, came Vartanov,
    Parajanov's most devoted friend, an amazing man, gave an amazing
    speech...' Vartanov would have turned 73 this month.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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