«The Color of Pomegranates»/«Sayat-Nova» as a decolonial act by Sarkis Parajanyan

Review of Serghii Parajanov movie «The Color of Pomegranates»

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17721/2519-4801.2024.2.09

Keywords:

Sarkis Parajanyan, «Sayat-Nova», act, decoloniality, Armenian culture, biography, experience

Abstract

The review reveals aspects of decoloniality in the film of the famous Armenian director of the second half of the 20th century Sarkis Parajanyan «The Color of the Pomegranates». It was first shown in 1968 in the Armenian SSR, and then, the cutted edition, in 1973 throughout the USSR. However, the film did not become popular during the Soviet period. In addition, it underwent many changes due to censorship: editing, deletion of some scenes, film frames, audio, etc. In 2014, the film was restored with funds from the Martin Scorsese Foundation. In the same year, it was shown at many international events, including the 67th Cannes Film Festival. The film itself tells in poetic form episodes selected by the director from the biography of the 18th-century Armenian ashugh Sayat-Nova. It also largely represents Armenian culture: rituals, traditional crafts, local Christian architectural and pictorial traditions, etc. That is why I am interested in the nature of the representation of the above-mentioned elements of the film. The film is generally recognized as revolutionary in the context of Soviet cinema, so I have no doubts whether it could be conformist. This review examines the question of the nature of the representations of the poet's biography and Armenian culture: is it anti-colonial, post-colonial or decolonial.

Published

2025-01-31

Issue

Section

Surveys and Reviews