DISTINGUISHED FILM MAKER ARA VAHUNI PASSES AWAY

Noyan Tapan
Armenians Today
Apr 13 2006

YEREVAN, APRIL 13, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. Early April 13
distinguished Armenian script writer, film director, writer Ara
Vahuni, 68 passed away of an incurable disease. Ara Vahuni was born
on February 24, 1938 to the family of famous poet, translator and
satirist Suren Vahuni. After graduating from the directors department
of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow in 1968,
he worked at Hayfilm and Hayk film studios, also in the RA Defence
Minsitry . Ara Vahuni is the author of more than 40 documentary and
feature films, and Honored Art Worker of Armenia. He was awarded
a State Prize of Armenia for the documentary films “The Curtain
Does Not Go Down” (1973), “Family Tree” (1975), “Elegy” (1978) and
“The Echo of Distant Whistles”. The works of Ara Vahuni won awards
at a number of film festivals. Besides the above mentioned films,
it is also worth noting the film “Musa Ler-88, or Year of Dragon”-
about the devastating earthquake and the Karabakh movement, as well
as one of the last considerable works of the famous film maker –
“Round Dance”(2005) According to film director Ruben Gevorgiants,the
Chairman of the Union of Cinematographers of Armenia, a decision has
already been made to name Grand Prix of the “It’s Me” annual festival
of young documentary film makers “Ara Vahuni Award”.