PRESS RELEASE
KCET
Contact: Laurel Lambert, KCET (323) 953-5246
Tuesday, April 5, 2006
Cathy Williams, KCET (323) 953-5243
KCET AIRS LOST TREASURES OF CHRISTIANITY: THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS OF ARMENIA
ON MONDAY, APRIL 24, AND
HONORS ARMENIAN CULTURE AND HISTORY THROUGHOUT APRIL
Deep in the ruins of the medieval castles, churches and monasteries of
Armenia – the first country in the world to declare Christianity its
official religion – lie clues to some of the most haunting questions in
the history of art. On Monday, April 24 (10:30 – 11:00 p.m.), KCET airs an
encore broadcast of `Lost Treasures of Christianity: The Ancient Monuments
of Armenia,’ a documentary that reveals recovered artifacts from these
structures, such as stone-carved images and brilliantly colored
illuminated manuscripts.
Dr. Lucy Der Manuelian embarks on an extraordinary journey across Armenia
to uncover a rich architectural legacy and to draw out long-neglected
connections to Western culture, art and architecture. Der Manuelian, the
Arthur H. Dadian and Ara Oztemel Chair of Armenian Art and Architectural
History at Tufts University, introduces viewers to treasures most of the
world has never seen.
`Lost Treasures of Christianity: The Ancient Monuments of Armenia’ is part
of KCET’s commemoration of Armenian culture and history during the month
of April, which includes a two-hour block of primetime programming on
Monday, April 24:
Wednesday, April 12: Life & Times, KCET’s signature local news and public
affairs series, features a segment about Armenian filmmaker Michael
Hagopian, currently working on his third documentary, `Caravans Along the
Euphrates,’ which tells the story of the Armenian mass killings of 1915
through interviews with survivors. Life & Times airs (6:30 – 7:00 p.m.),
and the segment will also be available at KCET’s Life & Times Blog, where
viewers may engage in an online discussion ().
Monday, April 17 (9:00 – 10:00 p.m.): KCET broadcasts the premiere of `Le
Génocide Arménien’ (`The Armenian Genocide’), the 2005 documentary by
French filmmaker Laurence Jourdan. The English-voiceover documentary makes
its U.S. television premiere. Widely acclaimed in Europe, the film is
respectful of Armenian history while being illustrative of events which
took place prior to World War I.
Monday, April 24: KCET has scheduled an encore broadcast of `My Son Shall
Be Armenian’ (9:00 – 10:30 p.m.), the poignant documentary by
Armenian-Canadian filmmaker Hagop Goudsouzian. Accompanied by five
Montréal men and women of Armenian origin, he returned to the land of his
ancestors in search of survivors of the genocide of 1915. Through the
moving testimony of those centenarians, and the funny and touching
accounts of his fellow travelers from the New World, Goudsouzian has
crafted a dignified and insightful film on the need to make peace with the
past in order to turn toward the future. Immediately following `My Son
Shall Be Armenian,’ KCET repeats the Life & Times segment about Armenian
filmmaker Michael Hagopian. Rounding out the evening’s primetime schedule
in honor of Armenian culture and history, KCET broadcasts `Lost Treasures
of Christianity: The Ancient Monuments of Armenia’ (10:30 – 11:00 p.m.).
In addition to finding more information about the films and filmmakers at
KCET.org, viewers can set email reminders for each program by clicking on
the Schedule tab and selecting the title via the monthly calendar.
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Tomikka Anderson
Publicity Associate
KCET
323-953-5308 phone
323-953-5678 fax
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