Color of Pomegranate, The Armenia
1969, 79min.
Scr./Dir.: Sergei Parajanov, Dir. of Phot.: Suren Shahbazyan, Prod. Design: Stepan Andranikyan, Compos.: Tigran Mansuryan, Sound: Yury Sayadyan, Pantomime directed by: Sergei Parajanov, Edit.: M. Ponomarenko.
Cast: Sofico Tchiaurelli, Vilen Galstyan, M. Alekyan, G. Gegechkori, H. Minasyan, M. Japaridze, S. Bagashvili, G. Matsukatov, M. Bibileyshvilli, G. Margaryan, L. Karamyan, G. Gabunia, B. Mirianashvilli, I. Babayan, B. Takhishvilli, Zh. Gharibyan, T. Dvali, E.Panakhchyan, Y. Merdenov, Y. Amiryan.
Aesthetically the most extreme film ever made in the USSR, a gripping epic account of the life of the 18th century Armenian national poet Sayat Nova, conveys the glory of what a cinema of high art can be like. Conceived as an extraordinarily complex series of painterly tableaux that recall Armenian medieval miniatures, the film is a dreamlike icon of astonishing beauty. It evokes the poet's childhood and youth, his days as a troubadour at the court of King Heraclius II of Georgia, his love, his retreat to a monastery, his old age, death and immortality through symbols and allegories.
The first director’s cut of the film was screened only in Armenia. It was only after Sergey Yutkevich’s editing that the film was allowed to have distribution throughout the Soviet Union.
Production Company
Hayfilm Studio
| Parajanov, Sergei Sergei Parajanov (Parajanyan) (1924, Tbilisi – 1990, Yerevan)
From 1942 to 1945 studied at the Constructions Department of Tbilisi Institute of Engineers of Transportation Means, later - in Vocal Department of Tbilisi Conservatory. In 1952 graduated from the Directing Department of VGIK (I. Savchenko's master class). Until 1968 worked at Dovzhenko Film Studio in Kiev. Later - shot films at Armenfilm and Gruziafilm Studios. At the end of 1973 was arrested and convicted in 1974 for "homosexual orientation and illegal transactions involving art objects". Was released from jail at the end of 1977 following the protests of foreign community and the petition filed by Luis Aragon directly to Brezhnev. From 1983 to 1988 worked at Gruziafilm Studio (Tbilisi) where he oshot three films. In 1989 started to work on a film Confession at Armenfilm, which was stopped because of deteriorating of his health. He was the author of most of his films, as well as author of about twenty scripts (Ara the Beautiful,David of Sassoun, Shushanik's Martyrdom), which have never been shot. Has created a high volume of art works: collages, dolls, ceramics, paintings, most of which are exhibited at his Museum in Yerevan (opened in 1991). The new film language, created by him, has been highly estimated by his contemporaries.
Filmography
Moldavian Tale (1952, short), Andriesh (Co-Dir. Y. Bazelyan, 1954), Dumka (1958, doc.),
Natalia Uzhviy (1959, doc.), Golden Hands (1959, doc.), The First Fellow (1959), Ukrainian Rhapsody (1961), A Flower on the Stone (1962), Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors (1964), Kyiv Frescoes (1966, unfinished), Hakob Hovnatanyan (1967, doc.), The Color of Pomegranate (1969), Legend on Suram Fortress (Co-Dir. Dodo Abashidze, 1984), Pirosmani (Arabesques on the Pirosmani Themes, 1985), Ashik-Kerib (1988), Confession (1990, unfinished).
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