S. M. Eisenstein and Disciple: The Anti-Religious Novel ‘Kajana’ by K. K. Pipinashvili

Abstract

The article talks about the creation by the director Konstantin Konstantinovich Pipinashvili of his first film “Kajana” (1941). In 1932, Pipinashvili entered the workers’ faculty of the State Institute of Cinematography (GIK), graduated from it in 1936 and decided to make a film based on the story of the classic of Georgian literature N. Lomouri. In the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art (RGALI), documents were found that were not previously published, which shed light on the relationship of Pipinashvili with his teacher S. M. Eisenstein. It was possible to find out that strong friendly relations arose between them, it was planned that Pipinashvili’s film “Kajana” would be the preface to the film “Bezhin Meadow”. However, the prohibition of the latter and the persecution of Eisenstein did not allow these plans to come true — the filming of Kazhdana was stopped, despite all the efforts of the young director. himself Pipinashvili continued to study, now at the directing department with Eisenstein and at the end of 1939, after graduating from the GIK, arrives at the Tbilisi film studio and tries to re-launch the film “Kajana” into film production. The film studio went to meet Pipinashvili, a full-length film was shot, which was released in Georgian and Russian in May 1941. We found a transcript of the discussion of the film “Kajana” in the Cinema House. This document shows how the figure of Eisenstein was perceived in the early 1940s, how anti-religious cinematography was treated at that time, how the problem of formalism was touched upon. We also see how the official goal differs from the artist’s idea. In the letters of Konstantin Konstantinovich it is clear to Pipinashvili that he is aimed at co-creation, he is captured by the ideas of the teacher. In the documents, we see what film functionaries want: “Kajana” as a pedagogical anti-religious story about the dangers of superstition and the bright future of the Georgian people. Pipinashvili managed to preserve his own style and national flavor. The composition, thoughtfulness of shots, the use of light and shadow, editing — all this is under the influence of Eisenstein.