The Armenian Film Society has announced an open casting call for an Oscar-nominated writer/director and Oscar-nominated producers in search of Armenian actors for an upcoming feature film drama based on actual events.

The roles being cast are:

Mariam (Principal)

Mariam (Armenian-Iraqi, 50s) is a tough, resourceful woman who has experienced great loss, namely, the death of her two sons and husband in a tragic accident after the 2003 American invasion of Iraq. Before the war, Mariam was a high school literature teacher. She’s intelligent with a wry sense of humor and unfailingly direct/honest, perhaps to a fault. About her job, Mariam liked to say: “I love the books… but not the kids.” When we first meet Mariam in the story, the war is a week old, and she makes the best of it with her husband, two grown sons, and daughter, Nora, at their home – until tragedy strikes. We re-meet Mariam about fifteen years later, living in Glendale, California with her daughter and her children. She has slowed down considerably over the years. She finds the noise and motion of the house difficult to handle, often shushing the children or walking away inexplicably as someone speaks to her. Mariam passes the days knitting or reading scripture, anything to just keep going and forget her losses. But someone from her past reaches out and she must re-confront everything that happened in Iraq.

Note: Actors auditioning for Mariam must speak Western Armenian, Iraqi Arabic and English, and be able to play Mariam over the span of 15 years (early 50s in Iraq; mid 60s in US).

Nora (Supporting)

Nora (Armenian-Iraqi, late 20s / early 30s, daughter of Mariam) is a good-humored, resilient, if at times stubborn young woman. She is a deep well and has navigated the loss of her father and brothers with grace. When we first meet Nora, it’s the early days of the war and she is in her twenties. To pass the days, she helps her mother clean and cook, talks on the phone with friends and plays cards with her brothers. Nora is outspoken within the family and not afraid of a fight. She bickers often with her father, disagreeing with his decisions about how to handle the family’s life/affairs during wartime. When we re-meet Nora many years later, she is married and a mother of two boys. She and her husband fight often, but they like it this way. They are both equal-parts stubborn and playful. Nora is the center of her family’s new life in Glendale, filling a role that belonged to her Mom in Baghdad.

Note: Actors auditioning for Nora must speak Western Armenian, Iraqi Arabic and English, and be able to play Nora over the span of 15 years (early 20s in Iraq; late 30s in the US).

Submissions are being accepted from both actors and non-actors. All must be able to speak both Western Armenian and Iraqi Arabic. 

Please email armenianfilmsociety@gmail.com with a brief video introduction. This should be in English and up to one minute in length with a brief introduction about yourself to give the filmmakers a sense of who you are.