“Hakob Hovnatanyan” (1967) is a documentary about the Armenian painter of the same name, known as "the Raphael of Tbilisi" (1806-1881). In the beginning of the film, the portraits painted by this key Armenian modernist painter are almost transformed into characters. The quick cutting between them generates small narratives, with a highly creative use of sound. The historic centre of Tbilisi, where Hovnatanyan lived, then becomes the focus of the film. As he wanders through the historic streets and buildings and observes a horse-drawn carriage, Parajanov also looks at the place where he grew up. The visual experiments with a rug (and a cat) and floral games are clearly forerunners for his ensuing masterpiece, “The Colour of Pomegranates”. (SDB)