The USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, in collaboration with the USC School of Cinematic Arts and Variance Films, will host a special theatrical screening and rare analysis of Amerikatsi — Armenia’s official Oscar submission for Best International Film. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Michael A. Goorjian, the film’s writer, director and lead actor, and Patrick Malkassian, producer, in conversation with Luis Moreno Ocampo, Founding Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Dr. Shushan Karapetian, Director of the USC Dornsife Institute of Armenian Studies, and Ted Braun, USC Joseph Campbell Endowed Chair in Cinematic Ethics.
Amerikatsi tells the story of Charlie, an Armenian-American who moves to Soviet Armenia in 1948 in hopes of finding a connection to his roots but is unjustly imprisoned. The Q&A will explore the role of film in portraying and shaping public opinion on topics such as genocide, ethnic cleansing and prisoners of war. Charlie’s story will be used as a metaphor to bring attention to the plight of prisoners of war held captive today and provide context about the role of international law and justice.
The timing of this discussion is significant with the complete ethnic cleansing of Artsakh two months ago and the unknown fate of 55 Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan.
The screening and Q&A will take place on December 5, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. at The Ray Stark Family Theatre, USC School of Cinematic Arts Complex in Los Angeles, CA.
The screening is free of charge and open to the public. RSVP is required. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m.
Please note, all SCA screenings are overbooked to ensure seating capacity in the theater, therefore seating is not guaranteed based on RSVPs. The RSVP list will be checked in on a first-come, first-served basis until the theater is full. Once the theater has reached capacity, we will no longer be able to admit guests, regardless of RSVP status.
For more information, including trailer, RSVP and parking: https://cinema.usc.edu/events/event.cfm?id=69114