Bobo, the ‘bogey-man’ is dedicated to and is about the brilliant film director Sergei Paradzhanov (1924-1990). The film festival has a special bond with Paradzhanov; Hubert Bals had invited him personally to come and receive a cash prize in 1988 in Rotterdam, which was Paradzhanov’s first journey outside the Soviet Union. Paradzhanov’s visit was an ’emotional high point’ (Peter van Bueren) of Bals’ last (seventeenth) festival.The film shows Paradzhanov via a roundabout route. We see him arrive severely ill in Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, after a stay in Paris. Later, after his death, his body is prepared for a death mask. We also see pictures of Paradzhanov at home and the shooting of what to be his last film, Confession. He interrupted this production himself when he realised that the means available were completely inadequate.The soundtrack quotes Paradzhanov about a variety of issues. He talks about his discord with the authorities, narrates lyrically about his stay in Rotterdam and above all about his art. There is lots of bitterness as Paradzhanov talks about the constitutional state, soldiers and his imprisonment.A calm camera style helps capture the melancholy of Paradzhanov’s last days. Pictures of nature, the city, the airport ensure a visual story filled with contrast. The camera does not provoke, but reflects.
