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The Apricot Film Festival: July 2005

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  • The Apricot Film Festival: July 2005

    Golden Apricot international film festival

    Yerkir
    July 15, 2005

    One of the most significant cultural events of the year, the second
    international film festival Golden Apricot, is currently underway
    in Yerevan. It is impossible to watch all the films presented at the
    festival, to attend all festival events and press conferences. However,
    we will try to present the most important and interesting events of
    the festival to our readers.

    Today our guest is Susan Khardalian, a film director from Sweden. She
    is presenting a film on the Armenian Genocide titled "I Hate
    Dogs". Khardalian was born in Beirut. She studied at the local school
    there and later graduated from an American university. She has worked
    as a film director since 1988 and has directed 30 films.

    S.K.: My background is in journalism. I have worked for some newspapers
    in Lebanon, I have worked for a radio station. And journalism
    brought me to the world of cinema and documentary films. Why? Because
    journalism was very important for me in getting to know the world. But
    the organizations where I worked limited me. And in this way I entered
    cinematography. I have directed 30 films and all of them have social
    implications, political aspects and social concerns connected with
    conflicts.

    Q: Do you mean ethnic conflicts and wars?
    A: Different aspects of wars, the social problems connected with wars,
    post-war problems, the situation and suffering of women in wars. And
    especially, the problems of small nations. We have made several films
    about the Palestinians, the Kurds, of course about the Armenians, about
    issues of racism in Europe. These films all go beyond journalism; they
    not only present information but contain subjective interpretations
    of the author. What is important for us is not the details of a
    phenomenon or an event. What we are interested in is the roots, the
    social causes and if possible alternative solutions for such phenomena.

    Q: You came to Yerevan to present your film titled "I Hate Dogs" at the
    Golden Apricot Festival. Tell us about this film.
    A: This is a short film. We came up with the idea of the film and made
    it in the last six months. It is about an Armenian man who survived the
    Genocide. Even though the Genocide is the man topic of the film, the
    most important thing in it is the ability of Armenians to survive. And
    it is also a love story. The man is 99 years old but he got married
    at the age of 95. This enthusiasm for life is both very natural and
    extraordinary for a person who has survived the Genocide. The film
    lasts 28 minutes.

    Q: So your hero is a real person? Are your films documentary?
    A: This person has been in charge of the Armenian Revolutionary
    Federation Party in France. He is a real person with a vivid mind and
    great interest towards life and the world, Armenia and the Armenian
    nation. He is well aware of the developments in Karabagh, the relations
    between Armenia and Turkey, the process of Genocide recognition. He
    reads newspapers and watches TV. He has already made up a list of
    people whom he wants to invite to his 100th birthday anniversary.

    Q: Please tell us about you team with whom you make your films. You
    live in Sweden, does this mean that the films you make are presented
    at various festivals by this country?
    A: Our team is a small and independent one. 5 people work on each of
    our projects. There are two directors, me and Pio Holmkwist, we are
    co-authors. We have our team and our editor. It is an international
    team that includes people from different countries and of different
    nationalities. Our center is in Stockholm. We get our financing from
    Swedish organizations.

    Q: Do they order films from you?
    A: No, we sell our projects.

    Q: Does this mean that you get the funding before you make the film?
    A: Yes, and this is what gives us independence. We sell our ideas and
    our projects. People often ask me whether it was the Swedish government
    that ordered the film "Return to Ararat". I answer that it was not. The
    Swedish government does not have a right to express their position on
    the Genocide. After the film was launched the Turkish diplomats tried
    to exert pressure on the Swedish authorities but the latter answered
    that just as they do not have a right to order a film, they do not
    have the right to ban it or to intervene in any other ways because we
    are an independent organization. It's interesting that the last film,
    "I hate the dogs", raised more resistance in Azerbaijan than in Turkey.

    Q: What will be the topic of your next film?
    A: It will be on the problems of globalization. The film will be titled
    "Bullxxxx" and the title expresses our attitude towards the cataclysms
    accompanying globalization.

    Q: Let's get back to the Golden Apricot. You did not participate in
    the first festival, did you?
    A: No, I didn't participate in it.

    Q: What is your impression of the festival?
    A: Of course, it is a very important event first of all because it
    opens up the Armenian issues and the Armenian reality for the world
    and secondly, because it opens Armenia in the face of the developments
    of the world cinema. The festival will no doubt have its influence
    on the development of the Armenian cinema, and not only cinema.



    What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

  • #2
    We Have Great Talent For Filmmaking

    'WE HAVE GREAT TALENT FOR FILMMAKING'

    People

    Azg/arm
    19 July 05

    Canadian-Armenian actress Arsine Khanjian never says "your" while
    speaking about problems in Armenia but always "our". She expressed
    pain over the fact that less films were shot in Armenia in recent
    years. She certainly knows the reason of this tendency, and she
    offers new solutions telling that it is unacceptable to stagnate and
    lag behind modern cinematography. Arsine is well aware of the best
    Armenian films shot at Hayfilm studio in Soviet times, she heard
    opinions of famous film critics abroad and agrees with them that
    that was the heyday of Armenian film industry. "Those films are few
    because Armenia is a small country but their quality is very high.
    The talent of creating powerful films could not fade away. We are the
    same people only we don't have the possibilities of those years. I
    can confirm that there are many gifted filmmakers in Armenia today
    but they lack the digital systems that are used all over the modern
    world. In North America, for one, anyone creative can write a scenario
    and shoot a film. In Armenia, we don't need to spend millions and open
    a Hollywood-like film studio but instead we need to create a digital
    system and enable filmmakers to use their small sums to shoot films. It
    will certainly bring out talented people who film make Armenian cinema
    known to the world as Sergey Parajanov, Artavazd Peleshian and Henrik
    Malian did. Cinema is a cultural warfare for our nation, which can be
    accompanied with huge success. But, unfortunately, this way of thinking
    is not specified neither in state institutions nor in the circle of
    filmmakers because we are fearful that the country is not ready for
    that yet. Perhaps those reasons are somehow justified but we need to
    find a way out as we have great talent for filmmaking", Arsine says.

    Arsine Khanjian, who took part in most respectable film festivals
    including Oscar, was impressed by the Golden Apricot film festival
    and the opening ceremony at the Opera House. "I can say this was one
    of those nice and easy-going openings. I had to close my eyes not to
    see poor decoration of the stage at the opening ceremonies in
    countries with mighty film industry", she says.

    Arsine Khanjian has great inner strength, endless humor, sincere and
    contagious laughter. She explains why Atom Egoyan does not speak
    Armenia, "I am a guilty Armenian woman, guilty mother, guilty in one
    word. When I got acquainted with Atom Egoyan everybody expected that
    he will learn fluent Armenian in a short while but he does not till
    today though he understand pretty much. I felt obliged to teach him
    Armenian at first but then I thought if his parents did not teach him
    why should I".

    It was rather easy for Arsine to learn Armenian as she grew up in
    Armenian community of Lebanon. Whereas in Canada it's very difficult
    to keep one's national identity and language; one needs enormous
    efforts to do that. "For that reason I could not teach Armenian
    neither Atom nor our 12-year-old son Arshile. We keep the Armenian
    soul by all means but it's very difficult to keep the language as
    everybody around speaks foreign languages. My son does not attend an
    Armenian school but studies Armenian twice a week and know the Lord's
    Prayer and sings Our Fatherland (national anthem)".

    By Ruzan Poghosian


    What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

    Comment


    • #3
      WINNERS OF GOLDEN APRICOT

      Azg/arm
      20 July 05

      The office of Golden Apricot film festival informed that Serge
      Avetikian was awarded a special diploma in the Armenian Panorama
      nomination for his film "A Beautiful Morning." Naira Muradian won the
      prize for the best animation film for her "The Road" film. Suren
      Grigorian and Arno Yeritsian were also awarded special prizes for
      their films "Born in Fire" and "Zortian Planet."

      Von Pilikianâ~@~Ys "Hammer and Flame" film won the prize for the best
      documentary in the Armenian Panorama competition. "A Balloon" by Aram
      Heqimian and Aruna Naijimi received special diploma. While Arman
      Yeritsianâ~@~Ys film "In the Open Air" won the grand prix.

      Yervand Janikian, Annette Scheotse (Latvia-Germany) and Pirio
      Honkasalo (Finland-Sweden-Denmark) were awarded prizes for the best
      documentary film in the international competition. Fow Pyng Hu
      received the juryâ~@~Ys diploma for his film "Paradise Girls," while
      Ilia Khorzhanovsky (Russia) and Lisandro Alesandro
      (Argentina-France-Netherlands) received the special prizes in the
      competition of the feature films. Alexander Sokurov who represented
      Russia won the grand prix for the feature films for his "The Sun."

      The organizers of the festival awarded Zanussi and Kiarostami with
      prizes for their contribution to the development of cinema. Jack
      Kahil received the prize of RA Union of Cinematographers for his film
      "Long Gone. RA Union of Cinematographers considered the film by
      Robert Gedikian "My Father Is an Engineer" and Veshim Ustaughiâ~@~Ys
      film " Waiting for the Clouds" as the best films.

      Naira Muradian received the Hrant Matevosian prize for the scenario
      of her film "The Road."

      By Tamar Minasian


      What if I find someone else when looking for you? My soul shivers as the idea invades my mind.

      Comment

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