FRESNO AREA PBS TO AIR ARMENIAN SPECIALS
Hagop Goudsouzian
asbarez
July 27, 2011
FRESNO-The San Joaquin Valley PBS, ValleyPBS, will present two
special nights of Armenian-focused programming featuring back-to-back
documentaries by filmmaker Hagop Goudsouzian on Tuesday, August 9; on
Friday, August 12 feature film Screamers by director Carla Garapedian
will air featuring the band “System Of A Down,” all to highlight the
rich culture, music and history of the local Armenian community during
this special time of year-the holy celebration of the Assumption of
St. Mary and the Blessing of the Grapes.
ValleyPBS is broadcast on 18.1 over the air, Cable channel 8, Comcast
HD 708, and Dish, U-verse and Direct TV channel 18.
On August 9, local news anchor and television personality Stefani
Booroojian, along with Prof. Barlow Der Mugrdechian, Director of the
Armenian Studies Program at Fresno State, will host the evening.
Armenian Exile begins at 7:00 p.m., followed by Armenian Minstrels
at 8:30 p.m.
Filmmaker Carla Garapetian In Armenian Exile (2009), his second film,
Goudsouzian paints a self-portrait in which he pursues a greater
understanding of his Armenian roots. In 1988, Nagorno-Karabakh’s war
for independence was in the headlines worldwide. Halfway across the
world in Canada, Goudsouzian’s peaceful world was suddenly shaken:
“I had forgotten I was Armenian, until I saw the courage of these
people who had never forgotten who they were and knew what they had
to do.” Seeking clarity of both history and self, Goudsouzian reflects
on Armenian identity, which is at the heart of all his films.
Armenian Minstrels-the newest film in Goudsouzian’s trilogy of
documentaries showcasing the vibrant culture and rich history of
Armenia-traces the long tradition of folk music through performances
and interviews with musicians and fans. Filmed in Armenia, Armenian
Minstrels features Professor Tovmas Poghosyan, the “Sayat-Nova
Minstrel Song Ensemble” and impromptu interviews with well known
Armenian minstrels Andranik Ujanci, Astghanush, Kochar, and Makhmour,
who sing and recount the critical role their songs and music play
in keeping alive a once dying art form, and the role music and songs
play as a tool for cultural survival.
Born in Egypt, Hagop Goudsouzian is of Armenian descent and currently
lives in Toronto. In partnership with TVOntario TFO, he has produced
and directed a number of television and documentary series.
The movie Screamers will air on August 12, at 8:30pm and features
multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning band “System Of A Down” as
they lend their music to this critically acclaimed political movie-an
impassioned synthesis of concert and hard-hitting expose about genocide
in the last century-from Armenian Genocide through the many other
genocides in the world up to and including Darfur. Filmmaker Carla
Garapedian will be in studio with Leslie Davis and Prof. Sergio La
Porta of the Armenian Studies Program as the hosts for the evening.