Sayat Nova or Synesthetic Cinematography

Sofiko Chiaureli in Sayat Nova - The Colour of the Pomegranates (1968)

Almost impossible to describe is the nostalgic and aethereal feeling of the works of the Soviet Armenian cinematographer Sergei Parajanov (1924-1990). Archetypes of the collective memory of the Caucasus between Byzantine Icons, Persian poetry and early 20th century décadence, put together in dream-like sequences of exceptional beauty. The extremely slow movements of the characters are meticulously choregraphed into a almost mute dance, imbued in the deep sorrow of purple drops of pomegranate juice on ancient cloth. 

Watch the entire movie in its full beauty here.
With these magic pictures in mind I am working when I prepare some Georgian dishes...
Eggplants in Nut Sauce
Cut 1 kg of eggplants into slices, leave them with some salt on the surface for 40 min in order to let them loose some water, fry in vegetable oil, put aside.
Cut in a mixer 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 200g of walnuts, 1 cup of fresh coriander leaves, 1/2 cup of flat-leaved parsley, 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, salt, pepper and turmeric powder, eventually adding some water.
Coat the eggplant slices from both sides, fold in half, decortate with pomegranate seeds, serve with white bread.
Enjoy.

Sooo Healthy and Delicious! Georgian Beetroot Salad

Sometimes I'm still quite childish and just the idea to eat something just because it's said to be "sooo good for your health" makes me shiver. So when my beloved husband brought me a couple of beetroots from the market I immediately thought of something insipid and muddy - what should I do with this!?!
But I tried my best and chose a recipe from Georgia - thinking of walnuts and coriander made me forget the rest... and, it turned out delicious! Unbelievable.
So I learned my lesson not to judge beets without trying ;-)
Interested?
Take 3 medium beetroots, 1/2 onion, 3 garlic cloves, 200g of walnuts, 1 cup of fresh coriander leaves, 1/2 cup of flat-leaved parsley, 2 tablespoons of fresh dill, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, salt and pepper.
Boil the beetroots for 40 min. In the mean time cut all the other ingredients in a mixer, eventually adding some water. Rasp the boiled beets and mix it with the sauce.

Lazy sunday

Oh ... what can you do
on a day like this
when the sun is hiding
and the world seems to sleep
on a cloudy sunday
why not feed the pigeons
and imagine them flying
in the grey afternoon sky ...

(Picture shot in Tbilisi, Georgia, fall 2004)

Hommage to Meidani - Old Tbilisi

Meidani is the center of Old Tbilisi, where people with different national, religious and social backgrounds have lived together for centuries, sharing their traditions with each other.
An that's why Meidani can be seen as a symbol of the world, even though it is only a tiny spot on our planet. And maybe it's a space where fairy tales are hiding just round the corner....

A friendly merchant showing his magic (flying?) carpets... ?

A beautiful princess waiting to be released from her prison... ?

Two brave young knights searching to fight the dragon... ?

Have a look at my stream with pictures from Georgia, a small, almost forgotten country between East and West, blessed with stunning beauty and afflicted by never ending political problems.
This entry wants to be a hommage to the courageous people of Sakartvelo, to their unique personalities , sensitiveness and and magnanimity they shared with me in Georgia and elsewhere.