As a student of Russian history, it is hard for me to see 'Salt of Svanetia' as anything but a propaganda film. However, even as a propaganda film, there are incredible things that happen with this film. Kalatazov is a master of imagery. The scenes that overlook Svanetia are breathtaking, but equally interesting are the scenes that focus on the work of the villagers--especially when he focuses on the actual workers. The inter-titles give the film a storyline--this creates a new sort of life to the documentary. The storyline makes the film bearable for even one who is not a film specialist. Kalatazov has done an amazing job of making even propaganda pretty.
Review of Salt for Svanetia
