Venice 2024 (Classics): I Will Revenge This World with Love | Interview of Zara Jian & Ani Vorskanyan

At Venice, Zara Jian and Ani Vorskanyan’s I Will Revenge This World with Love turns Sergei Parajanov’s legacy into a powerful meditation on art’s resilience against a world in turmoil.

We had the privilege of sitting down with director Zara Jian and her producer Ani Vorskanyan in Venice, where they are presenting their documentary I Will Revenge This World with Love in the prestigious Venice Classics section of the 81st Venice Film Festival. The film is a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Sergei Parajanov, marking the centenary of his birth.

Parajanov, born in 1924 in Georgia to Armenian parents, was one of the 20th century’s most influential and enigmatic filmmakers. Renowned for his groundbreaking works like Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1965) and The Color of Pomegranates (1969), Parajanov’s artistry was celebrated for its unique, transcendent style. Yet, his refusal to conform to the rigid demands of Soviet authorities led to years of imprisonment on politically motivated charges, making his life a profound statement on artistic freedom under oppression.

The documentary by Jian, an accomplished Armenian actress, director, and producer, and seasoned producer Vorskanyan is not a conventional biopic but rather an exploration of Parajanov’s enduring legacy, interwoven with the director’s personal journey. As global events force Jian to leave her adopted country, she returns to Armenia in search of inspiration, finding it in Parajanov’s life and work. The museum dedicated to Parajanov becomes a sanctuary from the toxic realities of today, and through this film, Jian and Vorskanyan seek to convey a powerful message: no matter the geopolitical turmoil, true artists must continue their work, undeterred by the world’s chaos.

In our exclusive interview, Jian and Vorskanyan share the inspirations and challenges behind this deeply personal and universally relevant documentary, offering insights into their creative process and the timeless lessons drawn from Parajanov’s life.

Ramona Boban-Vlahović: What attracted both of you to this project?

Ani Vorskanyan: Zara Jian came to me with the project. Usually, I’m not involved in documentaries with my company. But this year, 2024, is the anniversary of Sergei Parajanov, and her project was pretty interesting for me with its structure—how she decided to talk about today’s issues through Parajanov and bring all these problems and questions to the audience, to the professionals, and to her heroes.

She doesn’t provide answers herself; she leaves it to the audience to decide. It’s very important, at least for me. It’s a special project. Again, I want to emphasize the structure—it’s very important and interesting from that point of view.

Zara Jian: First of all, this is not a classic biopic. And all this story is based on true events of my life. For me, it was real therapy because, in 2020, there was a big war in Armenia. I mean, it wasn’t just a war; it was the next genocide of the 21st century. And the whole world was silent.

I was in this war. We were rescuing children, trying to help with psychological health. At that time, I was living in Russia. I used to live in Los Angeles, but then I had to live in Russia because I had some business there. After 2020, I went back to Russia, and then in 2022, I was completely lost because I was watching my colleagues—very talented young people—sell themselves, becoming political bloggers… I mean, I was watching them lose their talent in this scene of geopolitical, toxic stuff.

I was lost too. And finally, in October 2022, I came back to my motherland to find a solution for how to live on. I visited a museum where I was stuck in front of a self-portrait of Parajanov, where he called himself the “Son of Three Nations” because he was very cosmopolitan—Armenian, Georgian, and Ukrainian. I was stuck for 20 minutes. I had seen this portrait many times, but at that exact moment, it hit me. I understood one important thing—that this man was creating art even in jail.

I realized that throughout history, every period has its troubles and problems, but the winner is the person who continues doing what they do best. He was an artist, so he kept creating art. I feel the most important message I want to share with my colleagues is to just continue doing what you do best. Parajanov was in jail during the Soviet period for 15 years, and he won because even in jail, he was doing art. And I became obsessed with sharing that with society because I think that in the last three years, something has gone wrong in the world. And that’s how the script came about.

And I must mention our director of photography, Norayr Kasper. He got my point very quickly, and we made a dynamic and modern picture to bring in interest from the modern generation—not just the generation that is very close to Parajanov, but also to the new one.

In this film, we’re presenting a world of illusion, always comparing it with the world of reality. And without Ani Vorskanyan, without the Armenian co-production, I wouldn’t have even started shooting because I needed someone to share the big responsibility. And this woman, Ani, is the best producer. By the way, she got the Oscar last year, and she was in the Cannes competition. She’s very humble and doesn’t want to talk about her stuff.

So, the thing is I met Ani, and she was very busy. But when she found this chemistry and passion, she decided to jump in and help in Armenia.

Ani Vorskanyan: Of course, now Zara is much more involved, and this part of the film became bigger and bigger. But I have no regrets about it. I’m happy. It was really difficult because we had planned to develop this project over three years, but when we realized that 2024 was the anniversary year, we pushed the project forward and did it in 9 months!

Zara Jian: There was no personal life, no sex, nothing—just work on Parajanov (laughs)!

Ramona Boban-Vlahović: Do you think Parajanov would have approved of such an existence for your art?

Zara Jian: Okay, let me tell you something about how we approached this. First of all, it’s always very difficult to touch an iconic person. It’s always difficult to tell stories about legends. That’s why this film is not a classic biopic, but it’s an open one—like I’m telling my story. It has a very diary-like quality to it. I am very empowered by Parajanov, and I’m telling this story from my perspective.

Ramona Boban-Vlahović: Would you say that Parajanov played a significant role in your life, or did you become more aware of his genius and influence through the development of this film?

Ani Vorskanyan: While preparing funding requests, I had to give them my producer statement. I noted there that maybe for this film, my son, who is seven years old, might one day open up to something in it—maybe 20 years from now. For me, Parajanov in this film represents cultural heritage for my country. It’s not a commercial film, but I believe it’s the kind of film that will stand the test of time and be appreciated by future generations.

Ramona Boban-Vlahović: What makes Parajanov’s work so competent to speak across languages and cultures, even when you don’t fully understand the film?

Zara Jian: Parajanov was very cosmopolitan and instinctual. No matter the culture, if he saw beauty, he was trying to create something with it. For example, during the Nagorno-Karabakh War, he was shooting a film called Ashik Kerib in Turkey, which was a risky project given the political tensions. But Parajanov saw beauty in different cultures and tried to create something meaningful from that.

During the making of this film, I felt like Parajanov was guiding us. Everything aligned in mysterious ways, even down to the numbers. For instance, most of our shooting took place on the 23rd of the month across different locations like Berlin, Latvia, Serbia, and Armenia. It felt like history was guiding us through him.

This film is a co-production with France, and it’s financed not only by Armenia but also by other international partners. Our executive producer from Great Britain, David Kelly, has been fantastic. Parajanov was the freest man, even under repression. His friends would tell him to be quiet after he was released from jail, but he kept speaking out, and that’s something I resonate with deeply.

Ramona Boban-Vlahović: How does the title of the film, “I Will Revenge This World,” resonate with you, and how do you interpret this message today?

Zara Jian: The title comes from a real story depicted in the movie. One day, Parajanov was talking about his plans, and he said, “I will revenge this world.” It shocked everyone because Parajanov was never one to use aggressive language. When asked how he would seek revenge, he replied, “With love.”

This message resonates deeply with me. After 2020, I felt like I was destroying myself, but when I came to Parajanov’s museum, it felt like therapy. I realized that revenge isn’t about aggression—it’s about continuing to create, to love, and to heal. That’s the positive note I want to end on.

Explore our exclusive coverage of the 81st Venice International Film Festival here.