Like Armenia, Georgia has struggled continuously for survival. Today, the break up of the Soviet Union and the intrusion of overseas investors pose the biggest threat. In the Suram Fortress, emblems of both the ancient and the modern coexist. Guards brandish 20th century weapons and oil tankers pass on distant horizons. The image invokes their troubled 'metahistory'.
Myth becomes history, reality and prophesy.
There are other strong literary influences throughout the films but rarely is he interested in merely adapting a story line. Instead, an understanding of their spirit and context in a wider culture informs the development of his work as an artist. Ashik Kerib is a short story by the Russian poet, Mikhail Lermontov, who fell under the spell of the people of the Caucasus during his period of exile. An uncanny resemblance to certain crucial aspects of Paradjanov's own life and work. Sayat Nova, an 18th Century poet is the subject of his Armenian Colour of Pomegranates .