The Legend of Suram Fortress

Inspired by an ancient Russian folk tale and adapted from the novella by Daniel Chongadze, the Legend of Suram Fortress is a dazzling film by visionary director Sergei Paradjanov (Ashik Kerib, Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors). As the story opens, repeated efforts by the Georgian people to construct a defensive stronghold continually fail. The building they are laboring to complete collapses, but then a fortune teller remembers an old prophecy: In order for the fortress to stand, the son of her erstwhile lover must be bricked up inside the structure - alive. The young man is faced with the prospect of sacrificing himself to save his homeland. Filled with vivid and unforgettable imagery, the Legend of Suram Fortress is a surreal ode to the Georgian warriors throughout the ages who died for their country.