A Sentimental Journey to the Parajanov Planet
Documentary homage to Sergey Parajanov on the occasion of his 100th anniversary.
The documentary takes an in-depth look at the artistic world of a genius filmmaker and brilliant artist, Sergei Parajanov, employing surreal puppetry and archival footage to create a narrative that blurs the lines between reality and imagination. The film uses a puppet to represent Parajanov as the narrator who guides the audience through key moments in his life, including his relationships, artistic conflicts, and defiance against Soviet repression. Combining surrealist techniques and theatrical elements, the documentary reveals Parajanov’s unique creative vision and his rebellion against Soviet societal norms. The inclusion of never-before-seen footage and personal artifacts enriches the narrative, offering a deeper understanding of the great filmmaker’s legacy.
The film showcases Sergei Parajanov’s artistic brilliance and explores the myths he crafted around himself, highlighting his influence on cinema and art.
Taras Tomenko (1976) is a Ukrainian film director and scriptwriter. He was born in Kyiv into the family of the poet Mykola Tomenko. His grandfather died in World War II and his grandmother died at an early age due to hard labour on a collective farm. He graduated from the Faculty of Philology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, and the Film Faculty of Kyiv National I. K. Karpenko-Kary Theatre, Cinema and Television University. His student short film “Shooting Gallery” (2001) won an award at the Berlinale Panorama and the ARTE-France Prize at the Venice IFF. “Slovo House. Unfinished Novel” had its world premiere at the Warsaw IFF 2021 and became a box-office hit in Ukraine. His documentary “Boney Piles” premiered at the 2022 Berlin festival (Berlinale Generation Kplus 2022). Tomenko is a member of Ukrainian Film Academy and European Film Academy.
Budynok 'Slovo' (Slovo House, 2017, doc), Budynok Slovo. Neskinchenyi roman (Slovo House. Unfinished Novel, 2021), Terykony (Boney Piles, 2022, doc), A Sentimental Journey to the Parajanov Planet (2024, doc)