Mikhail Vartanov

Known for

Directing

Born

February 21, 1937

Died

December 29, 2009

Birthplace

Russia

Vartanov was blacklisted for his debut film, The Color of Land (1969), where he portrayed his dissident friends Paradjanov (imprisoned in 1974) and Minas (assassinated in 1975). When Vartanov's artistic freedom was restored 20 years later, he responded with Minas: A Requiem (1989) and Parajanov: The Last Spring (1992) - his masterpiece, which was admired by some of cinema's most important luminaries, including Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese.