Along with Dumka, this Parajanov short forms a diptych on Ukrainian culture. It is about the Ukrainian craftsmen who work in ceramics, painting, glass and ornaments. One by one, Kateryna Bilokur, Dmytro Holovko and other legends of folk art appear on the screen, with the narrator commenting on the peculiarities of their work and the different regions of Ukraine they represent. Zoloti ruky reveals a few facets of Parajanov. One is his huge love for pieces of folk art, which he collected all his life. Another is the passion for folk art as a link to history and with nature. Parajanov pinpoints this connection through editing, mixing art works with landscapes. Of course, the Carpathians receive particular attention. So, four years before Tini zabutykh predkiv the director discovered for himself the culture of the Hutsul people, inhabiting the Carpathian region. Admiring the crafts of Kosiv masters, Parajanov demonstrated their legendary painted tiles, which would feature in the leading film of his Ukrainian period.
However, the most striking and inspiring episode in the documentary is an unexpected insertion of animation, based on a Ukrainian fairytale. The protagonists in this story are ceramic figurines of famous folklore characters. Through simple visual means, this story draws the observer into the vortex of Parajanov’s incredible imagination.

Stanislav Bytiutskyi