The Color of Pomegranates

Dir. Sergei Parajanov. 1968, 77 mins. Soviet Union. In Armenian, Georgian, and Azerbaijani with English subtitles. DCP. With Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Aleksanyan, Vilen Galstyan. Ranked among the BFI’s Greatest Films of All Time, The Color of Pomegranates was described by Martin Scorsese, who introduced the 2014 restoration at the 39th Toronto International Film Festival, as “unlike anything in cinema history.” Commissioned in Armenia to depict the life of an 18th-century poet and ashugh (a mystic bard or balladeer who accompanied tunes with a long-necked lute) named Sayat Nova, this masterpiece is unmissable for fans of Parajanov and newcomers alike. In the words of Jean-Luc Godard, one of the artists who campaigned for Parajanov’s release from prison in the 1970s: “I think you have to live at least 15 miles away and feel the need to walk there on foot to see [The Color of Pomegranates]. If you feel that need and give it that faith, the film can give you everything you could wish [for].

Preceded by 
Seasons of the Year 
Dir. Artavazd Peleshian. 1975, 29 mins. Soviet Union. In Armenian with English subtitles. DCP. This rich and poetic essay about the relationship between man and nature centers the struggles of an isolated farming community, scored to local music and Vivaldi’s Four Seasons. Seasons of the Year marks the final collaboration of Artavazd Peleshian, whom Parajanov referred to as “one of the few authentic geniuses in the world of cinema,” and renowned cinematographer Mikhail Vartanov, whose 1992 The Last Spring features the surviving footage of Parajanov’s unfinished final film The Confession (and whose banned 1969 documentary The Color of Armenian Land features footage of Parajanov making The Color of Pomegranates).  

Screens with the support of the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris who recently spotlighted the director with its online project: Encounter with Artavazd Pelechian. Thanks to Artavazd Peleshian.

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). There is a $1.50 transaction fee per ticket for all online purchases. The cost of admission may be applied toward a same-day purchase of a membership. 

Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission.