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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 830

Salt for Svaneti

193049 minSoviet Union

Synopsis

In an isolated mountain community in Svanetia, the camera follows work, animals, ceremonies and the struggle to obtain salt. The landscape shapes both daily life and access to the outside world. The arrival of road construction reframes this portrait of local practices as an argument for the transformative reach of the Soviet modernization project.

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Video edition: Wikimedia Commons
Original language: No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: Russian.
This copy runs: 49:10
Subtitles: No subtitle track in this language

No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: Russian. No subtitle track in this language.

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Режиссер: Михаил Калатозов · Public domain

DirectorsMikhail Kalatozov

Historical context

Kalatozov's striking images mix documentation with staged material, so the film should not be read as a transparent record of Svan life. Its attention to traditional culture also complicated the official message of progress it was expected to deliver.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film reference Wikidata — film identity and credits BFI — Salt for Svanetia

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

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