“I was fascinated by the footage. It’s remarkable material.”
a story of people in war and peace (2007)
directed by vardan hovhannisyan
Prompted by a question from his son, Hovhannisyan embarks on a journey to find his surviving trench mates from the Nagorno-Karabakh War of the early nineties with neighboring Azerbaijan and examines the lasting effects of the war during a time of peace. Timely and universal, A Story of People in War and Peace wrestles with the question of how to maintain dignity in the face of terror.
“...what the film offers is something quite remarkable...it succeeds heartbreakingly in driving home the fact that somehow we know that nothing justifies the fact of taking the precious, irreplaceable life of even a single human being”
donkeymentary (2009)
Directed by vardan hovhannisyan AND ARMAN YERITSYAN
Lamu is a small island off the Kenyan coast with 24,000 people and 6,000 donkeys. It is also one of the world's only surviving centers of authentic Swahili culture. Here, donkeys are a part of daily life and the key to earning a living.
Donkeymentary follows the life of a young boy whose fondest dream is to one day have a donkey of his own.
the last tightrope dancer in armenia (2009)
Directed by inna sahakyan and arman yeritsyan
The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia tells the story of Zhora, 78 years old, and Knyaz, 77 years old, who were once the most celebrated tightrope dancers in Armenia. Today they are the only surviving masters who can keep the ancient art of tightrope dancing alive. They've been rivals their entire lives, but are now united by the same hope: that the last remaining tightrope student will carry on their lives' work. Hovsep, a 17-year-old orphan and Zhora's adopted son, must decide whether to continue dancing in a society that has abandoned the art. Now, with Zhora's death, this choice only becomes more difficult…
one, two, three / the chosen ones
directed by arman yeritsyan
Armenia’s only elderly dance troupe is practicing for their latest performance. But they are not just learning the steps to a new dance; they are learning that you are never too old to turn your life around. Mikhail (80) collects garbage from streets, yet he dances… Mariam (58) has just gotten out of a mental hospital, yet she dances… Anahit (64) puts flowers on the graves of the eight kids she has lost, yet she dances. They are all ‘The Chosen Ones’, a group of fifteen elderly and lonely people who dance to overcome their hardships and find a sense of meaning and joy in their lives once more.
