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DOCUMENTARY ABOUT ARMENIAN TRANSGENDER MUSICIAN WINS ANOTHER AWARD
11.19.2014 12:31 epress.am
This Sunday, November 16th, the 17th Annual ARPA International Film
Festival in Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, awarded the film "When
My Sorrow Died: The Legend of Armen Ra and the Theremin" as Best
Documentary of 2014. It is the 12th award for the film since its
release last year. The film is directed by Los Angeles based-director
Robert Nazar Arjoyan.
The film is an intimate portrayal of the life of Armen Ra, a
transgender Iranian-born Armenian, who, after a turbulent life,
becomes a master theremin player. Armen came from a wealthy family
of artists and intellectuals and lived the 'high life' before 1979,
when the Iranian Revolution kept him and his family stuck in the
United States. He was frequently bullied in school and was involved
in sewing costumes for puppet shows. The alienation he felt from his
peers and unique imagination eventually led him to New York City. There
he became involved in LGBT club scenes and became a model, drag queen,
drug addict, and alcoholic.
Due to destructive addictions and his peers' deaths, Armen's life
became dark and bleak. So the former-model, drag queen turned to
music as a form of rehabilitation, and began learning to play the
Theremin in 2001. Armen quickly became a master of the instrument and
performed internationally at places like the United Nations (NY),
Wiener Konzerthaus Mozartsaal (Vienna), Villa Petraia (Florence),
etc. Some of his most memorable pieces are of Armenian folk and
sacred music.
The film's director, Robert Nazar Arjoyan, told Epress.am about the
indirect symbolism and coincidence of the ARPA festival's award; "I
met Armen outside the doors of the Egyptian [theatre] in 2010 because
I used his music in my film during my first run at ARPA. 4 years
later, we're standing together as winners at the same festival. It's
pretty wild."
Robert Nazar Arjoyan was born in Glendale, CA. He studied cinema
from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and since then has worked
as a writer, producer, and director of short films, commercials,
and features in Los Angeles.
The documentary has won the Best Film and Documentary at the Byron
Bay International Film Festival 2014, Best Music Documentary at the
Macon Film Festival 2014, Best Documentary at the Hollywood Reel
Independent Film Festival, as well as numerous other awards at film
festivals around North America.
The young director and his film are continuing to travel from festivals
to screenings. On December 6, 2014, "When My Sorrow Died: The Legend
of Armen Ra and the Theremin" will premiere in Houston, Texas.
To view the trailer of the film click here.
http://vimeo.com/103356883
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/11/19/documentary-about-armenian-transgender-musician-wins-another-award.html
11.19.2014 12:31 epress.am
This Sunday, November 16th, the 17th Annual ARPA International Film
Festival in Hollywood, Los Angeles, CA, awarded the film "When
My Sorrow Died: The Legend of Armen Ra and the Theremin" as Best
Documentary of 2014. It is the 12th award for the film since its
release last year. The film is directed by Los Angeles based-director
Robert Nazar Arjoyan.
The film is an intimate portrayal of the life of Armen Ra, a
transgender Iranian-born Armenian, who, after a turbulent life,
becomes a master theremin player. Armen came from a wealthy family
of artists and intellectuals and lived the 'high life' before 1979,
when the Iranian Revolution kept him and his family stuck in the
United States. He was frequently bullied in school and was involved
in sewing costumes for puppet shows. The alienation he felt from his
peers and unique imagination eventually led him to New York City. There
he became involved in LGBT club scenes and became a model, drag queen,
drug addict, and alcoholic.
Due to destructive addictions and his peers' deaths, Armen's life
became dark and bleak. So the former-model, drag queen turned to
music as a form of rehabilitation, and began learning to play the
Theremin in 2001. Armen quickly became a master of the instrument and
performed internationally at places like the United Nations (NY),
Wiener Konzerthaus Mozartsaal (Vienna), Villa Petraia (Florence),
etc. Some of his most memorable pieces are of Armenian folk and
sacred music.
The film's director, Robert Nazar Arjoyan, told Epress.am about the
indirect symbolism and coincidence of the ARPA festival's award; "I
met Armen outside the doors of the Egyptian [theatre] in 2010 because
I used his music in my film during my first run at ARPA. 4 years
later, we're standing together as winners at the same festival. It's
pretty wild."
Robert Nazar Arjoyan was born in Glendale, CA. He studied cinema
from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and since then has worked
as a writer, producer, and director of short films, commercials,
and features in Los Angeles.
The documentary has won the Best Film and Documentary at the Byron
Bay International Film Festival 2014, Best Music Documentary at the
Macon Film Festival 2014, Best Documentary at the Hollywood Reel
Independent Film Festival, as well as numerous other awards at film
festivals around North America.
The young director and his film are continuing to travel from festivals
to screenings. On December 6, 2014, "When My Sorrow Died: The Legend
of Armen Ra and the Theremin" will premiere in Houston, Texas.
To view the trailer of the film click here.
http://vimeo.com/103356883
http://www.epress.am/en/2014/11/19/documentary-about-armenian-transgender-musician-wins-another-award.html