Sergei Paradjanov's first feature after Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors (1964) traces the life of a great 18th-century Armenian poet and monk, Sayat Nova, through his writings. The history and heritage of the Armenian nation and people--a history of Turkish genocide, Persian invasions, and a vast migration to the Russian section in the early 20th century; a heritage of ceremony, iconography, and architectural styles drawn from the Bible--are represented in daringly symbolic imagery. (Jean Vidal notes, “There are as many symbols as there are takes. One example: three piles of wool--red, blue and orange--fall onto the scale of the dyer, father of Sayat Nova. These are the colors of the Armenian flag...”) The Color of Pomegranates was shown in Soviet theaters for two weeks and then banned when its symbolism was “decoded.” The director was sentenced to five years imprisonment on various unrelated charges. A partial restoration of the Soviet-censored print made the rounds of the Paris film clubs and created a reaction which led to the eventual release of Paradjanov from the prison camps, although he is still forbidden to work. The film was shown at Cannes in 1978 and at the New York Film Festival in 1980.