ARMENIAN REPORTER
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Email: letters@reporter.am
April 21, 2007 — From the Arts & Culture section
All of the articles that appear below are special to the Armenian Reporter.
For photographs, visit
Briefly
1. Ani Maldjian brings Anne Frank back to life
2. Eddie Mekka is definitely not "Stuck in the Past"
3. "Aram’s Choice" nominated for children’s book of the year
4. Reminder: Arpa International Film Festival call for entries
5. Complete online guide to Armenian Genocide commemorations and
cultural events
6. God Bless You, Kurt Vonnegut
7. Fresno’s most popular anchorwoman marks her 25th anniversary
* Stefani Booroojian is the face of stability, perseverance, and hard work
8. Music: Gor delivers what he promises (by Tamar Salibian)
* Acoustic folklore release concert draws hundreds of fans
9. Music: Singing to honor the memory of the Armenian Genocide (by
Betty Panossian-Ter Sargssian)
* A concert by the Armenian acoustic rock band the Beautified Project
10. Film: The inside story of the Karabakh war (by Betty Panossian-Ter
Sargssian)
11. Animators are ready to bring the epic David of Sassoon to movie
screens (by Paul Chaderjian)
* Harut, a popular online cartoon, empowers a pitch for a multimillion
dollar project
12. Anything but silenced: Students mobilize against genocide (by Arin
Mikailian)
* So Cal Armenian Students’ Associations commemorate the Armenian Genocide
13. Essay: The Pink House (by Armen D. Bacon)
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Briefly
1. Ani Maldjian brings Anne Frank back to life
Soprano Ani Maldjian made her Long Beach Opera debut this week in the
role of teenager Anne Frank. The 24-year-old was the first place
winner of the 2005-2006 Western Region Metropolitan Opera National
Council auditions, and she is currently a resident artist with the
Seattle Opera Young Artist Program.
In the opera, "The Diary of Anne Frank," Ani recreates Anne’s life
from the ages of 13 to 15, when the teenager and her family hid from
the Nazis in the attic of an Amsterdam office building.
"I’m Armenian, and I have the same history as the Jewish people,"
says Ani. "I understand from the point of view of my ancestors. I know
what they went though. Of course, we can’t ever really understand. Yet
I feel I know Anne Frank, that I understand the sadness and hope in
her heart."
"The Diary of Anne Frank" is a monodrama, written for one soprano
and a chamber orchestra. It was composed in 1969 by Grigori Frid and
premiered in Moscow in 1972. The opera was first seen in the U.S. in
1978, and its Long Beach presentation was its West Coast premiere.
The last performance of "The Diary of Anne Frank" in Southern
California will take place on Saturday, April 21. In May, Ani will
perform in Kona, Hawaii. She stars in "La Cenerentola" at the Cowell
Theater at Fort Mason Center San Francisco in July. Then in October,
Ani will make her Seattle Opera main stage debut as Priestess in
Christoph Willibald Gluck’s "Iphigénie en Tauride."
connect:
ww w.seattleopera.org
myspace.com/sopranoanimaldjian
* * *
2. Eddie Mekka is definitely not "Stuck in the Past"
Laverne & Shirley star Eddie Mekka was on location in Carnegie (near
Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, in March, filming his latest movie project
titled "Stuck in the Past." The movie about an aging Broadway star
remembering his impoverished childhood is being directed by Greg
Robbins, who is known as Pastor Greg on the Trinity Broadcasting
Network situation comedy Pastor Greg.
Mekka was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. He changed his name from
Edward Mekjian when he headed to New York City to sing and dance. He
landed parts on Broadway and was even nominated for a Tony Award.
Eddie moved to Los Angeles in 1975 to star in the hit ABC sitcom that
made him famous. Laverne & Shirley was constantly one of the
most-watched shows from 1976 to 1983. Episodes are still on television
in the U.S. (Nick-at-Nite) and around the world.
In addition to his role as Carmen "the Big Ragoo" Ragusa, Mekka also
has acting credits in movies like A League of Their Own and more the
recent Dream Girls. He has also been featured in television shows like
24 and Crossing Jordan, and spent one season on the daytime soap opera
Guiding Light.
connect:
* * *
3. "Aram’s Choice" nominated for children’s book of the year
The Canadian Library Association’s award recognizing outstanding
stories for children under 12 has named Aram’s Choice as one of its
top ten titles of the year. The 2007 Book of the Year for Children
Award will be presented next month by the Canadian Association of
Children’s Librarians, which is part of the Canadian Association of
Public Libraries.
Aram’s Choice is the third book of a series called "New Beginnings."
The book shares with its young readers the story of the Armenian
Genocide in detail, but through the comprehensible voice of a
12-year-old immigrant.
Aram’s Choice is about how Canadians helped more than a thousand
Armenian refugees who escaped the genocide. Among the 1,300 refugees
were 110 boys who were taken to Georgetown, Ontario. These boys would
eventually known as the Georgetown Boys. A stage production of this
story will also premiere in New Jersey on June 2.
connect:
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* * *
4. Reminder: Arpa International Film Festival call for entries
The 10th Annual Arpa International Film Festival will be held November
2-4 at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. The festival is inviting
Armenian filmmakers to submit their feature-length, short,
documentary, animation, and music video projects for consideration.
The deadline for submissions is June 30.
connect:
* * *
5. Complete online guide to Armenian Genocide commemorations and
cultural events
For the past few years, Armenians looking for Genocide commemorations
and cultural events to attend have been using one web site –
– for a thorough listing of events worldwide.
Webmaster Armen Vartanian created the site in 2003 to give Armenians
in the greater Los Angeles area a complete list of the dozens of
commemoration events taking place in Southern California.
Vartanian is a recent graduate of the Mt. Sierra College of
multimedia arts and design. He says following the site’s inaugural
year, Armenians began submitting their events from all corners of the
world. In 2006, Vartanian says, more than 40 thousand people used the
site at least once.
This year, GenocideEvents.com is offering user-friendly drop-down
menus for each geographic region. The menus then lead to secondary
listings by country and city. Among the listings this year are more
than 200 events ranging from protests to rallies, from concerts to
film screenings, and from prayer vigils to church services. The events
listed are taking place throughout the month of April and in various
locations including Australia, Europe, the Middle East, North America,
and South America.
If your event is not listed this year, join the site’s mailing list
and plan on adding your 2008 commemoration for the world to see.
connect:
* * *
6. God Bless You, Kurt Vonnegut
For decades, rumors circulated that one of the America’s most prolific
writers, Kurt Vonnegut, was Armenian. This month, Vonnegut – a
third-generation German, who created Armenian characters and
references to things Armenian in his literature – died at the age of
84.
One of Vonnegut’s most noted Armenian characters was Rabo Karabekian
in the novel Bluebeard. Rabo was a World War II veteran and an
abstract expressionist painter. Bluebeard is said to have been a
fictional autobiography with the Genocide being an important
storyline. Vonnegut’s other books include Player Piano (1952), Cat’s
Cradle (1963), a collection of short stories titled Welcome to the
Monkey House (1968), the classic Slaughterhouse-Five (1969), and
Breakfast of Champions (1973).
In 1999, Vonnegut also published a collection of pieces written for
National Public Radio titled, God Bless You, Dr. Kevorkian. In the
book Vonnegut talks to an eclectic group of people including
Shakespeare and Hitler. How Dr. Kevorkian is involved is that Vonnegut
employs the good doctor to create near-death experiences, so that
Vonnegut can talk to his dead interviewees.
connect:
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7. Fresno’s most popular anchorwoman marks her 25th anniversary
Stefani Booroojian is the face of stability, perseverance, and hard work
FRESNO, Calif. – In 1982 Stefani Booroojian began her career as a
broadcast journalist at Fresno’s channel 24, KSEE TV. Twenty-five
years later she’s still going strong, bringing the evening news into
the homes of millions of Central San Joaquin Valley residents. This
month marks the start of Stefani’s second quarter-century at channel
24 and in television news.
"I realize 25 years is quite a milestone," says Stefani with great
modesty, "but I sort of just kept coming to work, and the years just
kept piling on. My colleagues did throw a wonderful celebration. I
was flabbergasted!"
The petite anchorwoman started at channel 24 as an intern, never
anticipating she would become a household name in the valley, perhaps
the best-known personality in the region. Thousands tune in to her
broadcasts on weeknights to find out what is happening in their world.
After graduating from Fresno High School in 1976, Stefani enrolled
at Fresno State and majored in journalism. "I was drawn to radio and
television in college when I started taking courses and realized I may
have some potential," she says. "I particularly liked providing a
public service as well as the performance aspect."
Stefani learned the workings of the news business like so many
others trying to get started, scoring an internship at channel 24.
"When I was in college, one of my professors suggested I change my
name," says Stefani. "He didn’t feel Booroojian would work well on the
air. He said it was ‘too ethnic and too hard to say and spell.’ I
decided to go with it anyway, and figured an Armenian name would be
accepted just fine in the San Joaquin Valley. It was!"
Once she earned her degree, Stefani started working at a local radio
station, where Greg Lefevre heard her and asked her to audition at
channel 24.
"I hired Stefani in 1982 when I was news director at KSEE," says
Lefevre. "It was the easiest and smartest decision you could make. I
had listened to Stefani on the radio in those days, more than holding
her own with the morning deejays."
Lefevre, who went on to be a CNN bureau chief in San Francisco,
recalls that Stefani’s manner was clear and convincing, even early in
her career. "She knew news, and her journalism instincts showed
through," says Lefevre, who is now a media trainer and consultant.
"When I invited Stefani in for an audition," he says, "she lit the
place up. Here was a bright, capable communicator who cared deeply
about her profession and about the community she served."
The audition and job offer were the beginnings of a long television
career, spanning two and half decades and earning her countless awards
and accolades, including two Emmys, an award from Fresno State, and
the title of the valley’s favorite news anchor.
Former channel 24 anchor Brent DeMonte says Stefani made an
impression right off the bat. "She walked in as a pretty little
dark-haired gal," he says, "very friendly to everyone when she came
in."
Over the years, Stefani has never shied away from volunteering for
local organizations, running the San Francisco marathon to help the
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, hosting fundraisers for the Armenian
Community School of Fresno, appearing at special events, and talking
to students in high school and college.
"The Armenian community has been very supportive of me and my
career," says Stefani. "I’m proud to represent such an important
segment of the central valley population."
Whenever the local Armenian community has approached Stefani to
participate, she has always been ready to help out. Stefani hosted
local Armenia Fund relief telethons when the community came together
to help the homeland after the 1988 earthquake and to raise funds to
buy fuel in the early 90s. Stefani also hosted local segments for the
valley broadcasts of the Armenian National Committee’s Horizon TV
program.
Fifteen years ago, Stefani spearheaded a program that many now know
as Buddy Check 24. The program promotes breast self exams and early
detection. On the 24th of each month, Stefani hosts special broadcasts
to educate and encourage women to partner up and remind their partners
to conduct self exams.
"The Buddy Check stories have all been memorable to me, because the
program does save lives," says Stefani. "Meeting women who have been
touched by the program is extremely gratifying to me."
Breast cancer survivors who say early detection made the difference
between life and death can’t thank Stefani enough. "When no one else
believed in us, she was there," said Sandy Flint, a cancer survivor
and former president of the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
In addition to Buddy Check, Stefani says serving as a media witness
to an execution and covering the fifth anniversary of 9-11 from New
York have also been monumental moments in her career.
Important stories, fame, success, and accolades have not changed
Stefani. "She’s remained sweet, very even-tempered, and a very nice
person," says fellow anchorman Jack Noldon. "That makes her one of the
tops in my book."
Talent, credibility, the skill of being one of the most capable
wordsmiths in the business, perseverance, and personality have allowed
Stefani to survive through several different owners at 24, perhaps a
dozen station managers, news directors, co-anchors, and hundreds of
reports, producers, and writers.
For those who want to follow in her footsteps, Stefani has a few
words of sound advice. "Don’t give up," she says. "Be willing to work
hard and possibly for little pay at first. The rewards will come
later."
While many personalities have appeared and disappeared from the
airwaves in the central valley, some moving on to a bigger television
market and chasing dollars and more fame, Stefani has remained
satisfied with serving her community and her hometown.
Anchorman Bud Elliott, who was Stef’s other half on the news desk
for fifteen years says you just can’t beat what she’s got going for
her. "Stefani brings an inside view and sensitivity that only a native
can have," he says.
Fresno’s top cop, Police Chief Jerry Dyer says Stefani is simply a
great person. "Stefani always had the interest of Fresno at heart
first," he says.
Chief Dyer, like many other city officials, politicians, community
leaders, and newsmakers know that Stefani is not only trustworthy but
has the perspective of a veteran journalist.
Stefani says she takes each news day in stride, not at all surprised
by the copy that may come up on her prompter during live newscasts.
"You learn to read through anything," she says, explaining how anchors
have to stay on their toes and speak without scripts during breaking
news situations or simply when shows are produced badly and fall apart
on the air.
"I’m only a year away from tying a record for sitting next to a
co-anchor," says Stefani’s current co-anchor Rich Rodriguez. "I’ve
told her many times that she can’t leave or retire before I do because
she’s such a joy to work with at 6, 10, and 11."
Rich says that over the past six years he and Stefani have
co-anchored, they have never had a quarrel. "I think because we have
so many things in common, it helps us click on the air. So often we’re
comparing notes about our kids and the crazy things that they do."
Stefani’s infectious laugh, says Rich, is something that can keep
him snickering for an entire newscast. Rich says Stefani’s laugh is
one thing that people don’t know about her.
"When it comes to her craft," he says, "she is one of the finest
delivering news. She reads with great emotion and interpretation and
that’s something journalism profs can’t teach because it is a gift."
Those who have worked with or simply know Stefani Booroojian all
seem to say the same thing: she’s beyond compare, a gem whose
brilliance shines through the lens and into the hearts of so many.
Several generations of young Armenians who have grown up in Fresno
and have aspired to follow in her footsteps have also been empowered
by the idea that an Armenian can be on the air, be successful and
maintain her identity.
"The real winners, of course are viewers across Central California,"
says Lefevre." Congratulations, Stef, on 25 great years!"
************************************ ***************************************
8. Music: Gor delivers what he promises
* Acoustic folklore release concert draws hundreds of fans
by Tamar Salibian
Known throughout Armenia as the lead guitarist for the popular rock
band Lav Eli since 1996, Gor Mkhitarian has emerged as a solid world
music act since his solo launch in 2001. "My music is for an Armenian
audience from age 5 to age 60" Gor explains. "I call it ‘modern
traditional’ music." On April 7, Gor enchanted the audience with his
unique style in an acoustic set at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater. It
was a promotional event for his new CD, "Acoustic Folklore," but Gor
assembled with a group of talented musicians to perform many of his
older songs as well as a number of songs from the new CD.
Soft-spoken and slightly bashful, Gor emerged on stage to begin the
show with guitarist and banjo player Aaron Stayman. Stayman, who had
flown in from Boston expressly for the concert, blended witty banter
and muted charm which went well with Gor’s brief introductions to each
song. Gor and his group were relaxed with each other and communicated
well with the audience. Speaking to the Armenian Reporter before the
show, Gor described his group as "fantastic musicians." The Barnsdall
Gallery Theater was a prime location for such an intimate event, as
the performers kept the audience laughing at many jokes, impressed
with the precise musicianship, and applauding joyfully after each
song.
Gor and Stayman began the night’s performance with the song
"Gladiator." The duo harmonized well and Stayman pronounced the
Armenian song lyrics clearly. Gor and Stayman performed a number of
songs together before Gor slowly invited more of the musicians onto
the stage to join the group. Accordionist Ara Dabanjian, nylon
guitarist Jay Dean, and bass player Varoujan Hovakimyan helped Gor and
Stayman on stage to create a lush, complete sound. Many of the
performed pieces were love songs, which made guitarist Jay Dean
jokingly complain, "another love song?" to much laughter from the
audience. "I call these songs short and sweet," explained Gor. "Short
for sure and sweet for me for sure," he joked. "They’re little bit
cheesy, yes," he added, "but it all comes from the heart."
The inclusion of Aaron Stayman’s banjo and Ara Dabanjian’s accordion
in the arrangements was evidence of Gor’s mission to create "modern
traditional" music. Stayman’s fiery banjo performance created a
distinctive sound. Gor’s respect for each musician was evident as he
repeatedly noted each individual’s performance throughout the night.
Rounding out the group’s cohesion was the inclusion of keyboardist
Erwin Khachikian and percussionists Narek Ovsepyan and Mher Vahakn.
Vahakn’s boyish glee while performing was evident throughout the
entire set and paired well with Ovsepyan’s focused demeanor. The
camaraderie during the show presented a back-and-forth communication
between guitarists Jay Dean and Aaron Stayman, percussionists Mher
Vahakn and Narek Ovsepyan, and between accordionist Ara Dabanjian and
keyboardist Erwin Khachikian. On "Stigma," each instrument stood its
own while blending well to create a sweet and unified sound. The unity
on stage paired well with the blend of genres from Gomidas Armenian
folk music to punk rock.
Gor’s final invitation was to duduk player Jivan Gasparyan, Jr. The
inclusion of the duduk, a traditional Armenian instrument, further
propelled the band’s fusion of old and new and of modern and
traditional. The evening came to an end with what Gor described as
"Armenian reggae" in the song "Vad or" (Bad Day). The evening ended
with many audience members rushing to the stage to congratulate Gor
and his bandmates on a successful night and a solid set of songs from
his new CD, "Acoustic Folklore."
Gor’s music is available on iTunes and at cdrama.com.
************************************* **************************************
9. Music: Singing to honor the memory of the Armenian Genocide
* A concert by the Armenian acoustic rock band the Beautified Project
by Betty Panossian-Ter Sargssian
Or by the five A’s, as the lead singer-songwriter André Simonian likes
to put it. They are André, Armen, Arlene, Areg, and Arne.
André has a sense of humor, one verging on the black. And,
accordingly, his songs are an ode to the dark side of life.
The theme of the Beautified Project’s upcoming concert, to be held
on April 22 at the Avant-Garde Folk Music Club in Yerevan, is not a
celebratory one at all. "It is more like coming together and focusing
on the dark side of our reality," André says. The band will perform in
memory of the Armenian Genocide.
André Simonian started playing the guitar when he was a teenager in
Iran. At 19 he moved to England to study media and music. Meanwhile,
he played in different rock bands, such as the Blue People Society and
Persia, which sang in Farsi.
"I was 22 when I started writing my own songs and the first time I
got the chance to really work on my songs was when I was 26." It was
then that André founded the Beautified Project, an acoustic rock band
"dealing with issues like loss, death, and more real-life situations,
rather than love songs or how beautiful girlfriends are! We, Armenians
like to drink dark, black, and bitter Armenian coffee, and that is
very much what life is, what our reality has been: dark, black, and
bitter. That’s the real taste of life," says the artist. He adds that
writing about the negative aspects of life fills him with positive
energy.
The band’s debut album, Serenades for Insanity, was out in the UK in
June 2006. The band had worked almost two years on it, with André
writing all the music and lyrics.
Then André decided to move to Armenia. After much planning he
arrived in Yerevan almost eight months ago, regrouping the Beautified
Project. He says he has a mission here in Armenia. "Basically, in
Armenia rock is associated with the 80s, black leather, and
three-minute guitar solos, but I want to prove that rock music can
associate with our history and present." He is definitely not
referring to the use of Armenian traditional music instruments. "Our
music hasn’t got any of the Armenian elements, but (I’m hoping) it has
the Armenian soul."
He dreams of contributing to the rock scene in Yerevan. Back in
London, the Beautified was one of a thousand good rock bands, but in
the Armenia it aspires to be a leading phenomenon.
The music of the Beautified is acoustic-based rock, and musicians
like James Blunt have influenced it. "A lot of people tell me that,
although I do not sound like a girl." But regular comparisons to Pink
Floyd leave the artist surprised, "because I do not own any Pink Floyd
records."
The album hasn’t got a single guitar solo, but instead has a
melancholic character with many mellow piano solos. "It’s rock,
because it’s still angry, the lyrics are dark and there is raging
energy."
In the UK André and The Beautified Project got recognized because of
their first single, All Alone, released in late 2005. It was inspired
by the life and death of the Armenian painter Arshile Gorky, and a
little bit by Atom Egoyan’s Ararat. That film "portrayed Gorky in the
best way possible, showing that although he escaped from the Genocide,
had a life in a safe country; he couldn’t cope with his past and at
the end became a victim of Genocide," says André.
Between the lines, All Alone narrates the Armenian feelings of being
betrayed and of living with a Genocide still not recognized.
To André, even today the Armenian diaspora are victims of the
Armenian Genocide, and the latest example of it is Hrant Dink.
"Armenian rock bands have to use their powers to bring these issues
up. During our upcoming concert dedicated to the Armenian Genocide we
want to dedicate All Alone to the memory of Hrant Dink."
The band aspires to achieve wide recognition first in Armenia, and
then to conquer the whole world.
The Beautified Project’s first-ever Armenian concert in December
2006 opened to a full house. It was the first time André Simonian was
performing live in Armenia. It was a great success for a band at that
time unknown to the Armenian public. Almost five months later, this
second concert will regroup around the band its first-ever core of all
Armenian fans.
connect:
* * *
Lyrics
* All alone
Watching the mirror stare at me
Watching the future spit on me
Watching me going down
It was hard watching you walk away
Sitting here all alone
Comes tomorrow I’ll be gone
Even my neighbor Jerry the nun
Hasn’t got a clue what’s going on
Getting high all alone
All our lives pretending clones
What is wrong with a bit of shame?
When you know you’re the one to blame
Whispers will turn to louder screams
My life will fall like an autumn leaf
Shadows of the past haunting our dreams
Tonight is the night and I’m so pleased
Sitting here all alone
Resting on the table a little gun
Even my neighbour Jerry the nun
Hasn’t got a clue what’s going on
********************************************** *****************************
10. Film: The inside story of the Karabakh war
by Betty Panossian-Ter Sargssian
One day an eight-year-old boy poked his nose into his father’s closet
and, finding an army uniform, asked, "Dad have you ever been a
soldier?"
"I suddenly felt the whole weight of that question," remembers
Vardan Hovhannisyan. "How should I answer him? Within ten years he’ll
be joining the army, too."
At one end of the answer lay the past of the father, and on the
other end was the son’s future. "I may not sound too original, as all
parents encounter such feelings at some point of their lives. But I
felt that the day to settle scores with my past had came," Vardan
recalls.
To find the right answer, he opened another closet, the one holding
his archival footage of the Karabakh war in the early 1990s.
The result of that backward voyage is a story of people in war and
peace, an internationally produced and released documentary depicting
the inside story of the war.
Does the film answer the boy’s question? Perhaps. But it raises more
universal questions: Are people the same in war and peace? Does peace
always offer happier endings than war does? Is there truly peace in
peacetime?
Back in 1990s Vardan was a 21-year-old college dropout who had
found himself a well-paid job as a freelance war correspondent. He
sold his battle footage to various news agencies. But at some point he
realized that the material he was producing didn’t end up serving the
truth. "I didn’t want to be manipulated. I refused to let my material
be twisted." So he boycotted the news agencies and stayed in the
trenches as a war volunteer, using his camera as his weapon.
He filmed the war for four years. He filmed the fear in the air, the
victorious smiles of the soldiers, the messages that fathers sent to
their children, born or unborn, the army nurse who vowed to send her
son to battle as soon as he was old enough to hold a machine gun. He
also filmed the frozen tears for a friend who was killed, the smell of
blood, dirt, and sweat, the dampness of the trenches, and the choking
smoke of the fires.
Vardan Hovhannisian was not a film director and never dreamed of
becoming one. His lengthy archival footage of the war was his personal
documentation of an important part of recent Armenian history, an
important part of his life.
Produced by the Bars Media Documentary Film Studio in Yerevan, A
Story of People in War and Peace depicts the universal themes of war:
killing, fear, boredom, and long hours of waiting in damp and cold
trenches. These things never change and cross borders of nationality,
ethnicity, religion, and even time.
A 70-minute version was coproduced for broadcast on BBC Storyville;
90-minute versions are being coproduced for broadcast on Germany’s WDR
and Finland’s YLE, and a 52-minute version is being coproduced for
broadcast on the French-German ARTE channel.
What began as a personal project is now being related to thousands
of people in different countries. The interest of people from various
European countries in this film comes as a big surprise to the
filmmaker. The secret may be that this film gives its viewers a
first-hand account of what war really is. "Over years people have been
exposed to journalistic accounts of the bombshells, the bangs, and the
explosions, but seldom have they gone into the trenches, listened to
the conversations of the soldiers, or experienced the real fear, the
blood, and the sweat," says Vardan. A viewer from Belgium once told
Vardan that the film had evoked memories of his late grandfather, who
had fought in World War II.
* Visiting the past to see the future
Stories of the survivors and the fallen had to be remembered to create
a very close and intimate portrait of the characters in war, and who
they had become in peace.
The making of this film brought to the surface feelings and
sensations long forgotten. In the Armenian version of the film there
is a scene where, by mistake, a hand comes into the frame: the very
dirty, frostbitten, ruptured hand of an old man. "I asked myself whose
hand this could be," says Vardan. It took him a while to realize that
it was his own. "Now, 13 years later, my hands look younger. I had
simply forgotten that for years after the war I always kept my hands
in my pockets to warm them. This film threw me back into such
forgotten sensations," says the filmmaker.
Besides being a return to the war, the film is a window to the
future. "It is something very important: not to be stuck in the war.
It could be so dangerous. Take the example of Djoud. He had big
problems and until now he encounters social problems," says Vardan.
In the war footage Djoud was a lively, bold, wild young man with a
hint of aggression in all of his actions. A hero of the trenches, he
is a killing machine at the same time. And peace didn’t bring much
peace to this character. Twelve years later Vardan visited him in
prison, where he was serving the last months of a sentence for drug
dealing.
The back-and-forth journey of the film accentuates the harsh
realities of peace. The five characters of the film have to fight in
peaceful battlefields. "There are no social programs to engage these
war veterans, to give them the means to secure a decent living. They
are deprived of the weapons to defend themselves in peace, because
they spent their best years at the battlefield, while crooks stayed
home and gathered wealth. Criminals have credit histories in Armenia,
but war veterans don’t."
Vardan is resentful and tells that many of the veterans do not even
possess a document showing that they spent years in the battlefield.
Another character in the documentary, Felo, was only recently able to
get such a document, and only after long bureaucratic chaos.
* Four years compressed into five days
What is presented in the war footage of A Story of People in War and
Peace is only five days in 1994, out of four years’ worth of film. The
filmmaker explains his choice: "I chose those five days and those
people in particular because they presented a group of people who were
strangers to me before the war and with whom I have had no connection
since." The trajectories of their lives were unknown to the filmmaker,
which made the whole filmmaking process a sort of lottery game with
unknown results and surprises.
The archival footage is shot during a close-range battle, where many
were wounded or killed.
The five characters are all very sensitive people. Each copes with
peace in his own way.
The filmmaker’s friendships forged in fire were one of the drivers
of this film. Those friends now live in the shadows and he felt the
urge to find who they had become. "At war we knew who we were. We were
soldiers fighting for our land. But we had lost our identity in
peace."
"There exists a different type of bond between friends in battle.
You become brothers, and that means more than life itself. And it sort
of warms us. When we gather together, we feel that warmth, we can
relate to each other without words, like those guys sitting under the
tree at the end of the film," says Vardan.
* Film therapy
After the war was over, the footage was locked away in a drawer.
Vardan was tired of those images. Like many of his friends, he wanted
to live his life. He got married and formed a happy family, but life
kept reminding him that the war had changed his way of perceiving
life. "War failed to victimize me. I felt proud that I was out of war
with my dignity preserved; I hadn’t turned into a criminal, into an
animal. I had survived that meat grinder."
As the years passed, however, Vardan began to realize that peace had
been breaking his wings. "Now I see that we were victorious in war but
are being defeated in peace on all levels."
Opening the closet helped heal the wounds he had gotten in
peacetime. "This film revealed the good in me; it erased my
aggressiveness," says the filmmaker.
The filming of the peace scenes took a year and half to complete.
The filming of the Armenian version is still going on, and will be
completed by the end of May. The Armenian version will be longer and
more in depth than the version to be shown at the Tribeca film
Festival. The film will have a different rhythm, "more true to the
Armenian nature." The ending will be different, and one more character
will join the group of veterans in war and peace. But no one should
expect a happier ending.
* Lessons from the trenches: Time is not money
"I always think about what I’ll be doing next," Vardan says. "One of
the things war has taught me is that time is not money. You cannot buy
your life back. If you spend it, it’s gone! It taught me the value of
time, especially when I was held hostage for six months. Any moment
the door could open and that could be the end of my life, so I had to
reevaluate what time really meant."
A story of people in war and peace has been shown in film festivals
all over the world, winning numerous awards. During the upcoming
months the Armenian version will be shown for Armenians in the United
States and in other countries with large Armenian communities.
connect:
www .tribecafilmfestival.org
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11. Animators are ready to bring the epic David of Sassoon to movie screens
* Harut, a popular online cartoon, empowers a pitch for a multimillion
dollar project
by Paul Chaderjian
GLENDALE, Calif. – A vision. Inspiration. A dream. These are a few of
the ethereal "somethings" that young Hollywoodians need to realize
daunting ventures like making a motion picture. They are also what the
filmmakers in this story have, in addition to the epic of David of
Sassoon – a story passed on to modern Armenians through dozens of
generation of their ancestors.
Hayk Manukyan, 24, and Henri Hovhanesian, 29, and a team of their
animator friends have set out to make a full-length three-dimensional,
computer-generated animated motion picture, much like the titles from
Disney-Pixar Studios like Toy Story, Cars, and Finding Nemo.
"If you ask any Armenian what’s the most popular story, they’ll say
David of Sassoon," says Henri, who will be producing the film.
"There’s a sense of pride when you see that statue, somebody so
legendary that represents our people. It’s something that we’ve always
wanted to see animated and told in an animated movie."
The statue Henri is referring to is the Ervand Kochar’s depiction of
the thousand-year-old epic about a hero who is known as the liberator
of his people from those who tried to enslave the Armenians of
yesteryear. The story, which originated somewhere between the 9th and
10th centuries, is about the battles of Sasuntsi Davit, who fought
Arab and Persian invaders with his lightening rod of a sword and his
magical horse, Kourkik Jelali.
"The country is at its weakest point," says Hayk. "They have lost
their leader and are being controlled by the Egyptian empire. All
their hope is on this one man, David, who happens to be the king’s
son, but he doesn’t know it. The main villain in this story is his
brother, half-brother. Basically, it’s a story about David finding out
who he is, and stepping up and taking the role of his father."
"The quickest way people would relate to it," Henri chimes in, "is
that it’s Lion King that would look like Lord of the Rings and feel
like Gladiator. It’s a young kid who is lost. Through his knowledge of
his history, he realizes that we are bigger and stronger than what
they say, and he says, ‘I’m going to take it back.’"
* David and Harut
Poet Hovhannes Toumanian is sometimes credited with being the first to
put the oral poems about the legend of David of Sassoon on paper.
However, a search on Google will provide academic sources that say
Bishop Karekin Srvantzdiants and a philologist named Manoug Abeghian
transcribed and gathered the various versions of the tale and
published them in the late 1800s.
Enter the computer era and a generation growing up text-messaging
and e-mailing one another, and you have Henri and Hayk, who learned
how to create cartoons by using Flash and Maya programming. Their
interest in illustrations and animation first gave birth to the 21st
century epic of Harut, the immigrant from Armenia who terrorizes the
freeways of Southern California and tells Aparantsi jokes.
"The first story that featured the Harut character was one Armenian
boxer named Vartan," explains Hayk. "Vartan is fighting the two-ton
terror for a million dollars. And the million dollars is if he
survives. It’s not even if he wins it. It’s just if he survives."
Harut appears in this cartoon as the ringside announcer but becomes
the object of Internet hype.
Hayk created the Harut Internet phenomenon. Thousands of fans have
hit various websites like YouTube to watch Harut come to life. The
cartoon, which may be found by searching for Hayasa on YouTube, has
also been featured on Hayk’s HayasaPictures.com website and on local
cable television programs in Southern California.
"Vartan was supposed to be the main character," says Hayk, "but
everybody’s response was aimed at Harut. Harut this and Harut that.
And they were repeating his words, and his phrase ‘aloh?’ became
popular. So in a way, he became the popular character, and Vartan
faded out after the first short." Harut, speaking English with a heavy
Armenian accent, his balding head and prominent nose, became an
overnight hit with young Armenians surfing the Internet.
In the two years that followed the first Harut appearance on the
‘net, Hayk created another dozen cartoons featuring Harut the taxi
driver, Harut the ninja fighter (pronounced neeen-ja), and Harut, the
stereotypical Aparantsi learning the ways of the New World.
In one sketch, Harut is speeding down the ‘van oh van’ or State
Highway 101 at 100 miles per hour. "It says van oh van," says Harut
when the California Highway Patrol officer pulls him over and asks if
he realizes he’s driving at 100 MPH. "You can’t be serious," says the
cop. That’s the number of the freeway, not the speed limit. "Oh crap,
Vartan," says Harut to the cop. "What’s a Vartan," asks the cop. "My
cousin," says Harut. "What about your him," asks the cop, and Hayk
changes the shot to a trail of smoke and fumes whizzing down Freeway
405 while a donut-eating officer watches in disbelief.
"There was really no script," says Hayk about his Harut series.
"There were story boards and just kind of coming up with the script on
the spot, animating and recording it." The average length of these
cartoons, which still live on the Internet is about five minutes, and
Hayk has been producing one new episode every two months."
Hayk’s current employers at Six Point Harness Studios liked Harut
the Ninja so much that they have signed a deal with Hayk to handle the
production of the series when a third party shows interest in funding
the project. Hayk says his "neenja" can be an animated series for
television, a full-length feature, sketches for web sites, or an
animated cell-phone graphic.
* Gettin’ into animation
Hayk’s love for making cartoons began early in life. "When I was ten,"
he says, "I was shooting movies at home." He was enrolled in the
Sevada Art Studio until he was 14, then wrote a letter to Disney
Animation asking for a job. He received a response with a list of
schools he should consider. One of them was Pasadena’s Art Center
College of Design, which offered high school students the opportunity
to attend Saturday class on campus.
"For the next four years, when I was in high school," says Hayk,
"every weekend, I would go to Art Center. I was getting life drawing
and painting and improving my artistic skills." After graduating
Glendale High School, the Yerevan native began working professionally
for small animation companies.
"The first project I worked on was in 2001," says Hayk. "I was hired
by Cornerstone Animation, which was a group of animators who separated
from Disney and started their own animation company. And over there, I
was working on everything from Lion King 1.5 to their other sequels,
storyboarding sequels. And I did a Mickey Mouse animation for one of
the Disney rides. That’s where I got most of my experience in
animation and knowledge."
Hayk’s dream at 14 to work for Disney had come true much as Henri’s
dream of being part of the film industry. The 29-year-old Etchmiadzin
native says art is in his veins, and both his parents have always
dabbled in fine arts. "It was always that thing that you’re never
going to make a living from the arts." Henri says he at one time
considered becoming a doctor but dropped the notion after volunteering
at a hospital.
While attending Glendale College, Henri landed an internship on the
first animated feature Warner Brothers was producing, Quest for
Camelot. The internship led to a paid production-assistant position,
and he spent several years working his way up the ranks. "I learned
how to manage and what it takes to meet the deadlines," he says.
"After that I went to Sony for a small TV show, called Sammy. It was a
David Spade project."
Henri continued his career at DreamWorks and Universal Studios,
where he worked on films like Curious George. Preparing for his
journey in Hollywood were private lessons, animation classes at
California State University, Northridge, and four years at San Jose
State University. Many of those involved with "David of Sassoon" are
also students and graduates of San Jose State.
"I met Hayk through his website, Hayasa Pictures," says Henri. "We
met because of Stepan Partamian’s TV show, and we decided to work
together. We did a couple of the animations together, and then I got
more involved." While Henri is working on the producing and business
aspect of "David of Sassoon," Hayk is leading the creative team and
developing the artwork and the look of the feature.
* The new David
"I based David on the statue," says Hayk, referring to the Kochar’s
sculpture across the train terminal in Yerevan. "It’s something you
grow up knowing, and when you picture David in your head, you picture
the statue by Kochar."
Hayk says he found photographs of Armenian athletes and people he
thought looked like the statue. The process of creating David is
taking place on the web, says Hayk. He and the other animators on the
project share a private blog, where they upload illustrations and
critique one another.
"I go over the artwork and give them notes," says Hayk. "Everyone is
not sitting there working in one place. We worked through the web. Two
of the animators are working on set design and environment. Three
others are working on the character design and the look of the
people."
* The Oscar speech
"There are so many great Armenian characters, Armenian stories that
the world has yet to get to know," adds Henri from across the table.
"We have a lot of heroes. We are small country, and we are always
getting to be known as being beaten down and controlled by other
countries. But in our history we’ve had so many heroes and we want to
bring them to life."
Henri says he is determined to introduce the world to Armenian
stories. For him, he says, it’s not enough to hear Jivan Gasparyan’s
duduk in various motion pictures or look for Armenian surnames in the
credits. "Let’s make a movie," he says, "where every single name is
going to be Armenian, the characters are going to be Armenian, the
music is going to be composed by Armenians. I think it’s time, and
it’s been ready to happen."
*********************************** ****************************************
12. Anything but silenced: Students mobilize against genocide
* So Cal Armenian Students’ Associations commemorate the Armenian Genocide
by Arin Mikailian
The voices of Armenian musicians and distinguished speakers were
anything but "silenced" on Sunday night, April 15, as the All-Armenian
Students’ Association presented Silenced Cries: A Benefit Concert for
Humanity.
The concert, held at the University of Southern California’s Bovard
Auditorium, was the work of students serving on the Genocide
recognition committees of ASA chapters across southern California.
This year’s event sought not only to pay respect to those lost in
the Armenian Genocide, but also to spread awareness of genocide
underway today.
In previous years, the All-ASA has organized candlelight vigils and
rallies to protest the Turkish government, but this was the group’s
first attempt to produce a live show. Bands and musicians on hand
included One Side Zero, Jacob Armen, R-Mean, and Aviatic. Raffi
Kassabian, a graduate student at UCLA and former president of its ASA
chapter, said the genocide in Darfur inspired the ASA to take a
different path.
"I wouldn’t call this an event for mourning or remembrance," he
said. "This is more of an event to get our youth active because
they’re in a unique position. We have a ready set audience willing to
listen."
Kassabian also said the use of music would not just reach out to the
Armenian audience, but all those who want to bring an end to genocide
in their lifetime.
The evening of music and speech began with a set of songs performed
by One Side Zero, followed by a speech given by Rabbi Jonathan Klein,
director of USC’s Hillel Jewish Center.
As Sunday marked Yom HaShoah, the Jewish holiday to remember those
lost in the Holocaust, Rabbi Klein said genocide survivors should not
be segregated by race or ethnicity. He said genocide survivors must
come together and stop future atrocities from occurring – including
Darfur.
"There’s no question," he said. "As descendants of Armenians we
gather here to demand an end to cruel and unspeakable crimes. We must
take action."
After the speech, Armenian drum prodigy Jacob Armen performed. Armen
treated the audience to a song played on the santour. He said he
decided to play the traditional santour to demonstrate the endurance
of the Armenian people and their culture.
"Music touches souls," he said. "Souls are what stay with us
forever. For us to survive and maintain our identity and culture is
not just a big accomplishment, it’s a huge statement to the world."
The final speaker of the night was the Rev. Vazgen Movsessian, who
shared his experiences from a trip to Rwanda last year.
Movsessian said the most emotional moment of the trip was what he
came across at the country’s genocide museum. After reading the tales
and hearing the stories of countless victims being raped and murdered,
Movsessian said he became emotional because this was a tale all too
familiar to him.
"I was reading my story," he said. "I was reading the story my
grandparents told me. I was looking at these pictures in a museum on
the other side of the earth and I’m looking at these pictures and I’m
sitting there crying."
As Movsessian brought his speech to a close, he said the survival of
Armenians is not by accident and it would parallel their reputation of
survival to bring an end to the genocide in Darfur.
"This is the first time we’re talking about genocide and there’s a
comma," he said. "You talk about the Armenian Genocide, there’s a
period, and the Holocaust there’s a period. It’s not an accident why
we’re here. All the musicians here tonight are touching your souls
with music. We all have to start touching souls; today we have the
most wonderful opportunity."
The concert winded down to an end with performances by Armenian
rapper R-Mean and the rock band Aviatic.
Some students were touched by the blend of music and speakers to
spread awareness.
"It was very informational as well as entertaining," said Erik
Yesayan, a senior at USC. "Adding the speakers made the performances
much more meaningful."
The revenue from ticket sales will go to a charity supporting the
Darfur cause, said Levon Matti, culture chair of the ASA. More
important than the money, he said is the participation of students.
"We are spreading the message to them," he said. "The idea is to
educate the young so they can educate their young."
The concert was also sponsored by USC’s International Student
Assembly and Graduate and Professional Student Senate.
***************************************** **********************************
13. Essay: The Pink House
by Armen D. Bacon
Sometimes it is the strangest of things that can catch your eye when
you are out and about. Like a flock of birds dancing in unison up in
the clouds. A ladybug or dragonfly that lands on your windshield. Or a
pedestrian crossing the street with an interesting rhythm in his step.
It can all unfold in front of your very eyes, transporting you
millions of miles away from your daily reality. What you might see is
far less important than the clarity of vision that can come with any
such sighting. It can make you stop. Think. Understand. Appreciate.
Most of us admittedly are too busy to make any sort of genuine
connection. Our minds are preoccupied with mental "to do" lists. And
so, more often than not, we sacrifice these precious moments, and find
ourselves rushing to arrive at the next place. A moment in time, lost
forever, never again to present itself in exactly the same way.
I work downtown, and follow a simple, rather mundane route each
morning: Friant to 41 South, right on 180-West, a quick exit at Van
Ness/Fulton, where I continue traveling south until I reach my office.
I can do this quite effortlessly while sipping a cup of French roast
and singing with Frankie and the boys as the dial rests on my favorite
radio station. That’s the ritual, one that I could probably do in my
sleep. But a few months ago, something kidnapped my attention, stirred
my emotions, and has become the highlight of my daily commute ever
since.
It was a pink building hidden on the outskirts of downtown Fresno
that caught my eye and captivated my spirit. It was just a pink
building that over time became both my fascination and obsession.
Don’t get me wrong. Like you, most days I arrive to work unsure as to
how my car has maneuvered itself onto the on-ramp and managed to
safely transport me to my destination. In this writing, however, that
shall remain a mystery. I am a hopeless daydreamer, especially when at
the mercy of my steering wheel. I have three tickets to prove it.
The pink building. It’s not really much to look at, honestly. Its
outer appearance, its subdued façade and faded color is faint and
unimpressive. The walls are long and narrow, quiet, understated, and
unassuming. Battered and ignored in appearance, yes, but with an
old-world charm and art deco features that beg respect. I have no idea
what or who resides inside. The building may even be condemned. But
that hardly matters. It appears to be a vacant shell – just waiting to
be discovered. I have created an entire scenario around that building
– I am a bohemian artist; it is my quiet hideaway; it is there that I
create written works of art and find both solitude and serenity. It is
my inspirational landmark, anonymously tucked away from the chaos and
hectic- ness of (my) normal everyday life. It has become my sanctuary.
There is one slight complication. I’ve never been inside. For now,
it is a complete figment of my imagination. But I can see it perfectly
in my mind’s eye. The interior is simple. No closets (no clutter). No
television (no reality television). No cell phone (no text messaging).
Only the very basics. A bag of local produce from the nearby farmer’s
market. A bouquet of fresh flowers. Space to think. Soft classical
music whispering from the walls. There is little room for storing
history, knickknacks, or personal mementos. Everything is present
tense and in the moment. There is a simple table, maybe a small sofa
or loveseat, concrete floors, a Middle Eastern area rug, and a wall of
bookshelves to the ceiling. It’s a virtual paradise, and in my fantasy
world – it’s all mine.
Everyone needs a home away from home. Mine is not a five star hotel,
a sandy beach house in Mexico, or a condo in Hawaii. It’s an obscure,
pink building that I have transformed into "my space," only I needn’t
log on to get there. It’s all in a morning’s drive. For some people,
the drive to work drives them crazy. Not me. I drive, I dream, and let
the imagery of my pink building ignite the passion that fuels my
personal journey. After all, the day is young, and there is so much
yet to see.
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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress