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The Color of Pomegranates

Sergej Paradzjanov / SUHH, 1968 / 77 min.

An absorbing portrait of the 18th-century Armenian poet Sayat-Nova which is brimming with metaphors and dreams. Parajanov created a melting pot based on the Armenian and Georgian cultural traditions with their rich religious symbolism and the expressive powers of cinema, the modernist folk art of the 20th century.

Poster color of pomegranates eye filmmuseum
Screening to commemorate Paradzjanov’s 100th anniversary in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam. This classic by Parajanov is not a dramatised portrait of the poet Arutyun Sayadyan, better known as Sayat-Nova (the “King of Songs”), but an associative portrait full of metaphors and dreams, arabesques and still lifes. It is a film designed like an oriental tapestry: quirky and unpredictable in line and colour, but at the same time expressive of great aesthetic harmony. The Color of Pomegranates is also a statement about the Messianic role of the artist, in this case the filmmaker Parajanov, who regarded this film as his finest.

Eye screens the director's cut of 1969, which is the original version. The print that was previously released in the Netherlands was an – equally long – reedited version made by Sergey Yutkevich in 1973 and authorized by Parajanov after the latter's director's cut had been banned in the Soviet Union. Parajanov was subsequently condemned by the authorities and often imprisoned for his critical and non-conformist attitude, both in his work and his life.

Restored by Cineteca di Bologna/L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory and The Film Foundation’s World Cinema Project, in association with the National Cinema Centre of Armenia and Gosfilmofond of Russia. Restoration funded by the Material World Charitable Foundation.

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Director

Sergej Paradzjanov

Production year

1968

Country

SUHH

Original title

Sayat nova - nran guyne

Length

77 min.

Language

Armenian

Subtitles

ENG

Format

DCP

Part of

Eye Classics

Eye’s collection includes a wealth of classics. With the Eye Classics series, Eye brings film history even closer. Every week, we screen at least three classics from the collection under one recognisable name: Eye Classics.

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