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(1965, DCP, 96m, Ukrainian with English subtitles) dir Sergei Parajanov.Widely considered the most important film in the history of Ukrainian cinema, Sergei Parajanov’s SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS is a masterwork that boldly combines folkloric pageantry, fairy tale mysticism, and frenetic, hallucinatory cinematography. Adapted from Mykhailo Kotsiubynsky’s novel, SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS tells the story of Ivan (Ivan Mykolaichuk), a young Hutsul peasant who is plagued by loss. When he meets Palahna (Tatyana Bestayeva), a woman who restores his faith in life and hope, his past returns to haunt him. Parjanov and cinematographer Yuri Ilyenko capture the stunning atmosphere of the Carpathian mountains through innovative camera movement and vivid color, and composer Myroslav Skoryk’s collage-like score brings together Ukrainian folk melodies with modernist, experimental orchestration. It is one of cinema’s singular productions, capturing the spiritual majesty of the past by creatively forging the medium’s future.
In October 2025, Archives on Screen will highlight the work of Ukrainian-Armenian filmmaker Sergei Parajanov. SHADOWS OF FORGOTTEN ANCESTORS will screen at Trylon Cinema, and THE COLOR OF POMEGRANATES will screen at Macalester College. Follow Archives on Screen on social media for more information.
Print provided by Janus Films. Restored in 4K by The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre and in association with the Dovzhenko Film Studio. Special thanks to Daniel Bird and Łukasz Ceranka. Fundings provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
This screening is made possible by the University of Minnesota Imagine Fund.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Trylon Cinema, 2820 E 33rd St.,Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Tickets
