Sergey Parajanov

Born 1924, Tbilisi, Georgia
Died 1990, Yerevan, Armenia

Museum of Contemporary Art

The Colour of Pomegranates, (Out-takes and camera tests), 1969
video, colour, sound
duration variable
Courtesy of the National Cinema
Center of Armenia and Daniel Bird

The Colour of Pomegranates follows the 18th-century ashug (poet, singer) Sayat-Nova from his time in Georgia’s royal court, love affair with a princess, consequent expulsion and journey across the Caucasus, to his death in a monastery.

Transcending both traditional narrative and national boundaries to draw inspiration from across the region, much like Sayat-Nova’s songs, the film recalls a series of Persian or Armenian illuminated miniatures. Created in the years following filmmaker Sergey Parajanov’s disavowal of social realism and before his 1973 arrest by Soviet authorities under false charges, it contains references to the endurance of cultures across the South Caucasus region (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, as well as Ukraine) in the face of Soviet oppression.

Re-edited by Sergei Yutkevich, a key figure of the avant-garde during the 1920s, his version balanced Parajanov’s poetic style with the Gosfilmofond’s (Russia’s state film archive) demands to make the film more accessible. Thanks to documentary filmmaker Daniel Bird and the National Cinema Center of Armenia, the unseen out-takes from The Colour of Pomegranates were presented at the International Film Festival Rotterdam in 2019. Over a hundred canisters of out-takes have survived despite the Soviet authorities blocking its distribution. Such film would typically have been recycled rather than preserved.

Starring Sofiko Chiaureli, who plays six characters, The Colour of Pomegranates left a lasting impact on the film industry and survives as a testament to the power of poetry as a form of resistance across centuries.

Sergey Parajanov (1924-1990) was a visionary Soviet-Armenian artist and filmmaker whose work defied conventional boundaries and transcended cultural norms. Renowned for his unique fusion of visual art and cinema, Parajanov’s practice was a celebration of creativity unencumbered by political or societal constraints. 

Parajanov’s oeuvre is characterised by its surreal and poetic nature, blending elements of folk art, symbolism, and avant-garde aesthetics. In addition to filmmaking, Parajanov was an accomplished painter and sculptor. His artwork often explored themes of identity, folklore, and spirituality, with a vivid and richly textured style that mirrored the cultural tapestry of his native Armenia. 

Read more about the 24th Biennale of Sydney, Ten Thousand Suns, by purchasing the catalogue here.