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European Film

This guide includes introductory readings and resources on European film, including books, articles, moving images, and more.

Caucasus Film Resources

Selected Major Caucasus Films — Online and Physical Viewing Options through UC Search

Additional Resources on Selected Major Caucasus Films

Selected Films from the Caucasus

The Color of Pomegranates (dir. Sergei Parajanov, 1968).

"A surreal biopic of Armenian poet Sayat Nova, told via non-narrative amalgamations of images, hailed as revolutionary by Mikhail Vartanov."

Life Triumphs / Nahapet (dir. Henrik Malyan, 1977).

"This story of a strong-willed man, Nahapet, who lost his family during the Armenian Genocide in 1915, is an eternal story of resurrection."

Next of Kin (dir. Atom Egoyan, 1984).

"Peter, catatonically unhappy with his family life and in video therapy with his parents. One day he views the tapes of an Armenian family who years ago guiltily put their infant son up for adoption. Peter decides to present himself to them as their lost son, to act out a role different than the one assigned to him in his own miserable existence."

UCLA students, staff, and faculty access through Kanopy. Log into the campus VPN or proxy server to view video.

Repentance (dir. Tengiz Abuladze, 1984/1987)

Filmed in Georgia and produced in 1984, then banned in the Soviet Union for its critique of Stalinism, Repentance first premiered at festivals in 1987. Varlam, the despotic mayor of a small town, dies. After his funeral, his body is repeatedly unearthed and buried again. Through flashbacks and dreamlike scenes, we witness his rise, power and ambiguities.

Mayrig (dir. Henri Verneuil, 1991).

"The saga of an Armenian family that immigrated to France after the break-up of the oppressive Ottoman Empire."

And Then We Danced (dir. Levan Akin, 2019).

"AND THEN WE DANCED follows Merab, a devoted dancer who has been training for years with his partner Mary for a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble. The arrival of another male dancer, Irakli—gifted with perfect form and equipped with a rebellious streak—throws Merab off balance, sparking both an intense rivalry and romantic desire that may cause him to risk his future in dance as well as his relationships with Mary and his family."

UCLA students, staff, and faculty access through Kanopy. Log into the campus VPN or proxy server to view video.