![© The Seasons (Artavazd Pelechian, 1975)](/sites/default/files/2024-07/seasons.jpg)
The Seasons
According to Sergei Parajanov, his compatriot Artavazd Peleshian was “one of the few authentic geniuses of world cinema”. The Armenian film theorist mostly makes essay and documentary films.
In The Seasons, Pelechian captures a reclusive farming community in its incessant struggle with the elements of nature. We see the villagers raising sheep and cattle, rolling haystacks down a hill, braving rain and storms, and celebrating a wedding. Accompanied by Vivaldi's “The Four Seasons”, these highlanders deliver feats of pure survival.
The Seasons shows humanity trapped in a cruel but stunningly beautiful existence. Vast cloudscapes speedily glide across the Armenian highlands: to the melodious rhythm of camerawork, editing, and a lyrical score, Peleshian elevates this into a full-blown symphony of life.