Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
After the death of Soviet leader Stalin in 1953, power eventually fell into the hands of Nikita Khrushchev, a man who pursued far more liberal policies than his dictatorial predecessor. During the cultural âThawâ of the 1960s, it was possible to make a film like Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors, a Ukrainian-spoken Romeo-and-Juliet story that is considered a high point of Ukrainian magical realist cinema. It marked an international breakthrough for director Sergei Parajanov, who would later make the masterpiece The Colour of Pomegranates.
In a small Hutsul village in the Carpathian Mountains, Ivan falls in love with Marichka. A problematic love, as a feud has been ongoing between their families for many years, Marichka being the daughter of the man who killed Ivan's father. Before they can marry, Marichka drowns. Later Ivan meets Palahna, whom he marries, although his heart still belongs to Marichka. Palahna tries to win his love with the help of a magician.
Restored by The Film Foundationâs World Cinema Project and Cineteca di Bologna at LâImmagine Ritrovata laboratory in collaboration with the Oleksandr Dovzhenko National Centre and in association with the Dovzhenko Film Studio. Special thanks to Daniel Bird and Ĺukasz Ceranka. Funding provided by the Hobson/Lucas Family Foundation.
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