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Gulf Times, Qatar
Nov 10 2012
Embers - a tribute to filmmaker's grandma
Embers, an entry in the Arab Documentary Competition at the fourth
Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF), uncovers some of the history of
post-war Armenia while paying a tribute to the memory of the
filmmaker's grandmother.
`First of all it is an honour to be selected for a festival like DTFF,
one of the leading Arab film festivals,' director Tamara Stepanyan
told Gulf Times in an interview.
`The selection is a chance to project my voice to others and DTFF is a
great platform to exchange views with fellow filmmakers, producers,
writers, and festival delegates,' she said.
Work on the film started in 2010. The film takes place in Stepanyan's
birthplace, the city of Yerevan. The filmmaker was in Beirut when she
had the idea of making Embers, and at that point had zero money.
`I called Paul Baboujian, the director of Screen Institute Beirut and
asked him for a camera and sound equipment, telling him that I was
planning to travel to Armenia for a month in two days to make a film
about my grandma. Without asking further questions he told me to go to
institute and take what I need. Of course I told him I had no penny. I
thank him so much for believing or perhaps trusting.
`I received my first funding from Screen Institute Beirut, then came
in Doha Film Institute then AND (Asian Network of Documentary) from
Busan International Film Festival. Of course when I had a producer who
is also the editor of the film, things were easier on me. The main
obstacle I faced perhaps was to convince people to give a life to my
Embers. I believe I achieved some part of this, yet there are still
lots of obstacles to come, which will be fought equally.'
The filmmaker wants the audience to watch the film with their heart -
to allow the film in, and allow it to take a life in them.
`It is a not a very easy documentary to watch, not in the traditional
form I say. I wish the film will lead them to a journey, to give them
a thought, to hear the fight of these people who lived and believed in
a system and yet only few particles exist today. I think the most
important for a filmmaker is to touch the audience, even if for few
moments.
Stepanyan believes that the support for filmmakers is growing now.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=542964&version=1&templ ate_id=36&parent_id=16
From: Baghdasarian
Nov 10 2012
Embers - a tribute to filmmaker's grandma
Embers, an entry in the Arab Documentary Competition at the fourth
Doha Tribeca Film Festival (DTFF), uncovers some of the history of
post-war Armenia while paying a tribute to the memory of the
filmmaker's grandmother.
`First of all it is an honour to be selected for a festival like DTFF,
one of the leading Arab film festivals,' director Tamara Stepanyan
told Gulf Times in an interview.
`The selection is a chance to project my voice to others and DTFF is a
great platform to exchange views with fellow filmmakers, producers,
writers, and festival delegates,' she said.
Work on the film started in 2010. The film takes place in Stepanyan's
birthplace, the city of Yerevan. The filmmaker was in Beirut when she
had the idea of making Embers, and at that point had zero money.
`I called Paul Baboujian, the director of Screen Institute Beirut and
asked him for a camera and sound equipment, telling him that I was
planning to travel to Armenia for a month in two days to make a film
about my grandma. Without asking further questions he told me to go to
institute and take what I need. Of course I told him I had no penny. I
thank him so much for believing or perhaps trusting.
`I received my first funding from Screen Institute Beirut, then came
in Doha Film Institute then AND (Asian Network of Documentary) from
Busan International Film Festival. Of course when I had a producer who
is also the editor of the film, things were easier on me. The main
obstacle I faced perhaps was to convince people to give a life to my
Embers. I believe I achieved some part of this, yet there are still
lots of obstacles to come, which will be fought equally.'
The filmmaker wants the audience to watch the film with their heart -
to allow the film in, and allow it to take a life in them.
`It is a not a very easy documentary to watch, not in the traditional
form I say. I wish the film will lead them to a journey, to give them
a thought, to hear the fight of these people who lived and believed in
a system and yet only few particles exist today. I think the most
important for a filmmaker is to touch the audience, even if for few
moments.
Stepanyan believes that the support for filmmakers is growing now.
http://www.gulf-times.com/site/topics/article.asp?cu_no=2&item_no=542964&version=1&templ ate_id=36&parent_id=16
From: Baghdasarian