The Colour of Pomegranates

Parajanov's rhapsody on the life of Armenian poet and musican Sayat-Nova, restored to its original eye-popping glory.

Poetry so often gets mangled in translation to the screen, but in recounting the life of 18th century troubadour Sayat Nova through a series of living tableaux, Sergei Parajanov created a series of exquisite images that hit us like lines from a poem.

The Soviet authorities did not approve of the film’s sensuality, its formal daring, or its celebration of Armenian culture, and the director spent the majority of the 1970s in prison. The Colour of Pomegranates went unreleased in the west until 1982, when it was quickly recognised as one of the great marvels and mysteries of world cinema. Now, thanks to meticulous work by the Cineteca di Bologna, we have an opportunity to feast on Parajanov’s blood-red fruit as originally intended.

Enrica Serrani from Cineteca di Bologna will give a brief introduction on the restoration process.