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'We Have Great Talent For Filmmaking'

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  • '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
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