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A MAJOR EVENT IN ARMENIA'S CULTURAL LIFE, THE GOLDEN APRICOT YEREVAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL IS TAKING PLACE IN THE FIRST HALF OF JULY IN YEREVAN.
Sona Khachatryan
PanARMENIAN.Net
July 18, 2012
PanARMENIAN.Net - Yerevan citizens and tourists arriving in Armenia
witness international film celebrities and festival participants in
Abovyan street. Festival founding director Harutyun Khachatryan is the
most noticeable figure, of course; with his white suit and hat on,
he feels right at home these days. Another permanent guest of the
festival, film director Roman Balayan is not much keen on Yerevan
summer heat.
In 2012, the Golden Apricot took place on July 8-15, comprising
unprecedented 1120 applicants from 70 countries worldwide.
This festival featured its traditional competition and non-competition
programs, the Tribute and Retrospective screenings.
Frunze Dovlatyan-85, Andrei Tarkovsky-80, Yuri Yerznkyan-90
anniversaries were celebrated; a new "Book and Cinema" program was
presented.
"Let there be light" award was established by the Armenian Apostolic
church; Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II granted
the first award to renowned Russian film director Alexander Sokurov.
Competition program was quite diverse this year. Interestingly enough,
some documentary directors presented foreign countries rather than
their motherland in their films. Petr Lom from Czech Republic tells
the story of the revolution in Egypt, while Serbian Goran Radovanovic
finds inspiration in Cuba people's hard life, and Fidel Castro. South
Korea sent only one representative to the festival. A South American
participant, Jose Luis Torres Leiva from Chile submitted his amateur
filming of summertime in his native countryside. His film got a Jury
Special Prize.
On the whole, the international competition program 2012 was notable
for psychological drama movies, with discrepant public opinions. The
most notorious one was Russian Vassili Sigarev's "Living". Some dubbed
it as a masterpiece, others named Sigarev a trouble-maker.
Sigarev takes the reaction calmly saying the judgement depends on a
person's state of mind. Optimists strive to live, while the unhappy
ones seek the contrary.
"The Minister", a film with a political context, disliked by the
administration of the ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy and
praised by current leader Francois Hollande was among the festival
participants.
As to Armenian Panorama program, its feature part comprised greater
number of participants from Armenia (over the past years, feature
films included mostly Diaspora Armenians or foreigners).
The documentary part, as usual, was mostly devoted to the subject
of the Armenian Genocide presented by local and Diaspora Armenian
directors. For instance, Suzanne Khardalian presented tattoos of
Armenian women during the Genocide, Eric Nazarian and Nigol Bezjian
sought traces of their ancestry in Istanbul; Eric V. Hachikian went
to Amasia, the native town of his grandmother, and Armen Gasparyan
told the story of generations that fled the massacre, in particular,
a woman now living in Armenia.
"In the Fog", directed by Sergei Loznitsa (Belarus) was awarded Golden
Apricot as Best Feature Film. "Five Broken Cameras" by Emad Burnat
from Palestine was named Best Documentary Film.
"Armenian Rhapsody" by Brazil's Cesar Gananian got Best Armenian
Documentary of the Armenian Panorama. In Best Armenian Fiction Film
category, Natalia Belauskene's "If Only Everyone" got Golden Apricot,
while "Nana" by Valerie Massadian, France was awarded a Special Prize -
Silver Apricot.
2012 Golden Apricot festival did not attract famous guests; instead,
it presented various programs.
Next year will mark 10th anniversary of the Festival. It would be
good to see some issues settled then (e.g. those organizing master
classes consider wishes of the participants, or films are shown in
a better quality), and our favourite Golden Apricot become even more
impressive and showy.
From: Baghdasarian
Sona Khachatryan
PanARMENIAN.Net
July 18, 2012
PanARMENIAN.Net - Yerevan citizens and tourists arriving in Armenia
witness international film celebrities and festival participants in
Abovyan street. Festival founding director Harutyun Khachatryan is the
most noticeable figure, of course; with his white suit and hat on,
he feels right at home these days. Another permanent guest of the
festival, film director Roman Balayan is not much keen on Yerevan
summer heat.
In 2012, the Golden Apricot took place on July 8-15, comprising
unprecedented 1120 applicants from 70 countries worldwide.
This festival featured its traditional competition and non-competition
programs, the Tribute and Retrospective screenings.
Frunze Dovlatyan-85, Andrei Tarkovsky-80, Yuri Yerznkyan-90
anniversaries were celebrated; a new "Book and Cinema" program was
presented.
"Let there be light" award was established by the Armenian Apostolic
church; Catholicos of All Armenians His Holiness Karekin II granted
the first award to renowned Russian film director Alexander Sokurov.
Competition program was quite diverse this year. Interestingly enough,
some documentary directors presented foreign countries rather than
their motherland in their films. Petr Lom from Czech Republic tells
the story of the revolution in Egypt, while Serbian Goran Radovanovic
finds inspiration in Cuba people's hard life, and Fidel Castro. South
Korea sent only one representative to the festival. A South American
participant, Jose Luis Torres Leiva from Chile submitted his amateur
filming of summertime in his native countryside. His film got a Jury
Special Prize.
On the whole, the international competition program 2012 was notable
for psychological drama movies, with discrepant public opinions. The
most notorious one was Russian Vassili Sigarev's "Living". Some dubbed
it as a masterpiece, others named Sigarev a trouble-maker.
Sigarev takes the reaction calmly saying the judgement depends on a
person's state of mind. Optimists strive to live, while the unhappy
ones seek the contrary.
"The Minister", a film with a political context, disliked by the
administration of the ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy and
praised by current leader Francois Hollande was among the festival
participants.
As to Armenian Panorama program, its feature part comprised greater
number of participants from Armenia (over the past years, feature
films included mostly Diaspora Armenians or foreigners).
The documentary part, as usual, was mostly devoted to the subject
of the Armenian Genocide presented by local and Diaspora Armenian
directors. For instance, Suzanne Khardalian presented tattoos of
Armenian women during the Genocide, Eric Nazarian and Nigol Bezjian
sought traces of their ancestry in Istanbul; Eric V. Hachikian went
to Amasia, the native town of his grandmother, and Armen Gasparyan
told the story of generations that fled the massacre, in particular,
a woman now living in Armenia.
"In the Fog", directed by Sergei Loznitsa (Belarus) was awarded Golden
Apricot as Best Feature Film. "Five Broken Cameras" by Emad Burnat
from Palestine was named Best Documentary Film.
"Armenian Rhapsody" by Brazil's Cesar Gananian got Best Armenian
Documentary of the Armenian Panorama. In Best Armenian Fiction Film
category, Natalia Belauskene's "If Only Everyone" got Golden Apricot,
while "Nana" by Valerie Massadian, France was awarded a Special Prize -
Silver Apricot.
2012 Golden Apricot festival did not attract famous guests; instead,
it presented various programs.
Next year will mark 10th anniversary of the Festival. It would be
good to see some issues settled then (e.g. those organizing master
classes consider wishes of the participants, or films are shown in
a better quality), and our favourite Golden Apricot become even more
impressive and showy.
From: Baghdasarian