TIGRAN KHZMALIAN’S "SARDARAPAT" DOCUMENTARY FILMED BY STATE ORDER NOT ACCEPTED YET

Noyan Tapan

Se p 17, 2008

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 17, NOYAN TAPAN. After a four-year silence,
9 months ago film director Tigran Khzmalian received an order from
the RA ministry of culture to film a documentary about the Sardarapat
heroic battle.

"Sardarapat" documentary was ready in mid May but it has not
been accepted and demonstrated so far. During the presentation of
"Sardarapat" at Narekatsi art center on September 16, T. Khzmalian
said that he "accepted that order for a ridiculous sum and on
ridiculous conditions" as the historical material about Sardarapat
and the historical realities were more important to him than those
conditions, "bedides, I do not consider it moral to reject a state
order," he stated.

In his words, the presented film is quite different from the May
version in terms of its duration and accentuation: the May version
was a 38-minute one, whereas the changed version is 68 minute long.

The famous film director said that during the film’s shooting he as
the scriptwriter discovered some interesting facts and video materials
unknown to many. "I was sent sensational facts and video materials
from various countrues, and all of them occurred and were filmed
in 1916-1920. I became acquainted with the documents which were not
published due to the political situation in this region. I made an
attempt to sum up what happened 90 years ago – now, at the beginning
of the 21st century. All that happened at that time was because of
feebleness of dull political figures, parties and improvident leaders,"
T. Khzmalian underlined.

While making this film, he came to the conclusion that the events
which took place at the beginning of last century resemble very much
the current regional developments: "the extent of danger is the same,
and when you look in the mirror, you see both your past and future. We
tragically make the same mistakes."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress