Ambavi Suramis tsikhitsa (1984)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Directors:

Sergei Parajanov
Dodo Abashidze (co-director)

Writers:

Daniel Chonqadze (book)
Vaja Gigashvili (writer)

Release Date:

17 September 1986 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A film version of a well-known Georgian folk-tale. A young boy has to be immured into the walls of a fortress in order to stop it from crumbling to pieces.

Plot Keywords:

Fortress | Folk Tale | Buried Alive | Father Son Relationship | Prophecy

Awards:

3 wins

Cast

Veriko Andjaparidze	...	Fortune Teller
Tamari Tsitsishvili
Dudukhana Tserodze	...	Osman-Agha's Mother
Dodo Abashidze	...	Osman-Agha / Simon
Sofiko Chiaureli	...	Vardo
Zura Kipshidze	...	Durmish-Khan
Levan Uchaneishvili	...	Zurab (as L. Uchaneishvili)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
M. Abaishvili
Leila Alibegashvilli	...	Young Vardo
G. Ambartsumov
Mzia Arabuli		(as M. Arabuli)
L. Arzhanov
T. Arzhanov
Paata Baratashvili		(as P. Baratashvili)
Gia Burjanadze		(as G. Burdzhanadze)
V. Chitishvili
N. Chkseidze
T. Daniela
Nunu Dugladze
O. Dzhaniashvili
Gegi Gujejiani		(as G. Gudzhedziani)
M. Gurgenashvili
Elene Kipshidze		(as E. Kipshidze)
V. Kirilenko
Abesalom Loria
V. Mgoiani
K. Molashksia
O. Odishelidze
S. Santuryan
G. Toksadze
Manana Tskhovrebova
G. Tugushi

Also Known As:

Legenda Suramis tsikheze
Legenda Suramskoy kreposti (Soviet Union: Russian title)
The Legend of the Suram Fortress

Runtime:

88 min | 82 min

Country:

Georgia | Soviet Union

Language:

Georgian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Mono

Company:

Qartuli Pilmi

Trivia:

This was main director Sergei Parajanov's first film in 15 years, having spent 4 of those in prison on trumped-up charges.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Parajanov: The Last Spring (1992)

vision

Paradjanov made four films for which he is best known: Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors and Color Of Pomegranates in the sixties; Legend Of Surami Fortress and Ashik Kerib in the eighties. In case you don't already know, between the sixties and the eighties he spent over a decade in a Soviet prison. I find this to be the strongest and most hypnotic one of the bunch, made soon after his release. One should take advantage of any opportunity to see these on the big screen.