Synopsis

Juno Reactor's "God Is God" is built almost entirely from vivid, ritualistic images taken from Sergei Parajanov's film "The Color of Pomegranates." Armenian landscapes, richly arranged tableaux, religious symbols, solemn faces, dancers, animals, and ceremonial gestures unfold in a dreamlike montage. Rather than following a conventional narrative, the video creates a visual meditation on faith, mortality, nature, and human devotion. The film's still compositions and deliberate movement mirror the track's hypnotic electronic pulse and its imposing religious voice samples.

Factoids & Trivia

• The video uses licensed footage from Sergei Parajanov's 1968 film "The Color of Pomegranates," also known as "Sayat Nova." The film portrays the life and imagination of the Armenian poet and troubadour Sayat-Nova through symbolic tableaux rather than conventional storytelling.

• Ben Watkins later said that he worked with Ray Stevens on the video and obtained permission to use Parajanov's material. The footage was edited to create a new visual rhythm for the Juno Reactor track.

• The song itself includes spoken samples from Cecil B. DeMille's 1956 film "The Ten Commandments," with Charlton Heston voicing Moses. It also incorporates Bulgarian folk vocals associated with Stefka Sabotinova.

• "God Is God" appeared on Juno Reactor's 1997 album "Bible of Dreams." The song had originally been completed earlier, but Watkins felt it did not fit the atmosphere of the group's first album.

• The video gained attention through MTV's late-night dance programming. Watkins later recalled that its exposure attracted interest from Alice Cooper and Sony executive Tommy Mottola, who reportedly asked him to direct a Mariah Carey video. Watkins declined.

• Juno Reactor later wrote and performed a full live score for "The Color of Pomegranates," extending the connection between the film and the group beyond the original music video.