The Color of Pomegranates, by Sergei Paradjanov

Paradyanov's The Color of Pomegranates is one of the great classics of Soviet cinema. With its wondrous tableau vivant-like scenes full of religious symbolism and a mix of surreal and folkloric-looking images, the film is an incomparable film. The film was intended to depict the life of the 18-century Armenian poet Aroetion Sajadjan, nicknamed Sajat Nova (the "King of Song"), but the Armenian Communist Party reproached the filmmaker for dealing far too loosely with the poet's life and determined that his biography should be concealed as much as possible - a decision that has done much to enhance the cryptic nature of the final film, but did not prevent it from resulting in a dazzling arabesque portrait of Sajat Nova. In his film, Paradjanov mainly shows "the inner world" of the poet. He presents us with a fascinating series of images and music, with snippets of memories of his childhood and numerous references to stories of war and suffering of the Armenian people, plus a mixture of religious ceremonies and martyrdom, filled with mystical love for god, for art and for a loved one.

That the Sovejet Union's film organization, Goskino, initially approved the Armenian Communist Party's commission of Paradyanov was related to the multilingualism of the poet Sajat Nova. He was considered a symbol of the "friendship of nations" that was so important in Soviet ideology. The film remained on the shelf for three years and then was distributed in a new edit. Paradjanov was taken to court and sentenced to five years in prison. International pressure and pleas from friends such as Andrei Tarkovsky helped little. He was released a year early but received a professional ban that was not lifted until 1985. He was able to make two more films before his death in 1990.

This film can be attended with a day ticket or festival passe-partout, or with a film ticket, to be booked through the film agenda of LantarenVenster.