The Color of Pomegranates

The life of one of Armenia's greatest poets is told through a series of visually arresting and unforgettable tableaux.

The life of the revered 18th-century Armenian poet and musician Sayat-Nova (Vilen Galstyan) is celebrated on screen in the splendourous avant-garde masterpiece by Soviet director Sergei Parajanov.

Portraying the artist's life from his childhood to his death, the film particularly illuminates his relationships with women, including his muse (Sofiko Chiaureli). The production tells Sayat-Nova's dramatic story by using both his poems and largely still camerawork, creating a highly impressionistic work.

Curator's note
The Color of Pomegranates holds a special place in cinema history as one of the avant-garde greats.

Influenced by Andrei Tarkovsky’s first feature, Ivan’s Childhood, director Sergei Parajanov was inspired to abandon Socialist Realism in favour of heightened poeticism. Upon its completion, the film was criticised by Soviet censors and the Communist Party for being too poetic and not properly educating the public on the poet’s life, and all literal references to the poet were removed.

Since then, the film has been recut to be as close to Parajanov’s original vision as possible and returns to ACMI cinemas in a new 4K digital restoration.

– Reece Goodwin, Senior Programmer (Film & Screen Industry)