Sergei Paradjanov (also spelled Parajanov, or Paradzhanov), born at Tiflis (now Tblisi) in Georgia, in 1956 married Svetlana Ivanovna Sherbetiuk and in 1958 their son Suren was born.

He was one of the most innovative and controversial filmmakers to work in the Soviet Union. His films are stunningly beautiful and rich in color and imagery.

Many of his work feature idealized male beauty. Paradjanov inspired Tarsem, the director who shot the R.E.M.'s video of Losing My Religion.

His work was considered anti-Soviet by the authorities; in 1974 he was arrested by the KGB for, among other crimes, "homosexuality and illegal trafficking in religious icons"; he spent four years in jail until pressure from international authorities led to his release.

Work:

• Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964)
• Sayat Nova (1969)
• The Color of Pomegranates
• Legend of Suram Fortress (1984)
• Ashik Kerib (1988)
• Confession (1989)