AZG Armenian Daily #128, 13/07/2005
Cinema
GEDIKIAN’S NEW FILM PICTURES REAL ARMENIA AND ARMENIANS
French-Armenian film director Robert Gedikian arrived in Armenia to
shoot his 14th film titled “Armenia”. “One of the main aims of the
film is to show things that people fail to see in daily life. The key
thing is the idea of the film: to depict the life of the Armenians and
their environment. This is a love story that may take place anywhere
but in order to express my idea in whole we need to shoot it here
because Armenia has appeared in the center of world affairs”, Gedikian
says.
Armenian and French actors alike will star in the film. Main
developments will unfold in Yerevan and some episodes will be shot at
the monastery of Areni village and on the shore of Sevan Lake. Actress
Aria Askarid, Gedikian’s wife, will play the title role of Anna. “Anna
who arrives in Armenia to find her father is notices the crying
difference between the rich and the poor. This issue always interested
and troubled me not only in Armenia but also elsewhere.
Films dealing with human relations are understandable for all
mankind. I want to show by this film that values existing in great
countries exist in small countries too”, the director says.
Gedikian knows little about contemporary Armenian cinematography,
mentions only the names of Sergey Parajanov and Artavazd Peleshian. He
find out about his Armenian origin in childhood. “I was born in
Marseilles where 10 percent of the population were Armenians. I knew
about my Armenian roots since my childhood. But a mother tongue comes
from mother, and my mother was German, that’s why I speak not Armenian
but German”, he said.
Robert Gedikian will take part in 2d Golden Apricot international film
festival with 2 films shot last year — “The Mars Field Stroller”
dedicated to Fransoa Miteran and “My Father is an Engineer”. All of
his films were featured at the best film festivals of the world, and
he is sure that the “Armenia” will share that fate. Gedikian, by the
way, has already sold the film though shooting has not started yet. He
is also the producer of the film and Paradiz Company is the
pro-producer. The film will cost 2.5 million euros, which is a rather
small sum for French films.
“It is one of my principles to shoot not expensive films. I am doing a
craftsman’s work. In this film, I will depict the real picture of the
Armenian life: beautiful buildings with untidy yards and ruined
houses. I am well informed and know what’s going on in Armenia. I
think I have sufficient information about one of the most intolerable
phenomena — corruption”, Gedikian says. During the film shooting he
turns “dumb” till the end of the shooting, i.e. September 20. With
this film that will be ready on the independence day, the film
director wants to bring happiness to Armenia.
By Ruzan Poghosian