Orpheus Descending

Overview

The film tells of the life and work of Sergey Paradzhanov. On December 15, 1973, the Master was to leave for Yerevan to start work on a film based on Andersen’s fairy tales. It is not known why he had changed his decision, and left on that very day for Kiev where, two days later, on December 17, he was arrested. The film recounts the years the director spent in prison. The author tries to penetrate the mysteries of the Master’s spiritual world, naming the sources, from which he drew the strength to endure the adversities of not only camp life, but of the life in general that had endowed him with huge talent and made him pay for it in full measure.