The last feature Parajanov completed before his death transforms a famous Lermontov story into a wild Arabian Nights–like tale set in the Caucasus, replete with spinning tigers, flying carpets, albino pomegranates, and machine gun–toting courtesans. The Turkish minstrel Ashik Kerib, tossed out by his beloved’s father and given a thousand days to make his fortune, sets off across Armenia fending off fools, philistines, and fascists with the magic of his art. Ashik Kerib is "masterfully composed ... wildly beautiful... told with affection, humor, and high style" (New York Times).