Kino Eye: One of the most beautiful films ever made

Submitted by AWL on 24 November, 2020 - 3:48 Author: John Cunningham
The Colour of Pomegranates

There are other reasons than the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict for us to take an interest in Armenia. The countries of the Caucasus have a rich cultural history, and Armenia is home to one of the most beautiful films ever made. Sergei Parajanov’s The Colour of Pomegranates (1969) is a poetic biography of the eighteenth century “ashugh” (bard or minstrel) Sayat Nova. Its seven dialogue-free chapters follow Nova’s life from “Childhood” to “Death” and contains scenes, like tableaux or paintings, of stunning beauty which resist description. Of mixed Georgian and Armenian parentage, Parajanov lived at a time when the region was part of the Soviet Union. His unconventional films and outspoken nature frequently displeased the authorities and he was imprisoned for four years, ostensibly for his homosexuality. He died in 1990.

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