The Armenian Film Society is joining Gary Gananian’s documentary “The Peace of All,” with Armen and Mary Karaoghlanian, the husband and wife team, serving as executive producers. Armenian Film Society will provide strategic marketing support to the film.
“The Peace of All,” which features music from Grammy-winning artist Serj Tankian, is a feature documentary about the history of Artsakh, its people, and their fight for survival in their historical lands. The documentary covers the Armenian Genocide, the end of the Ottoman Empire, the fall of the Soviet Union up to the 2020 attack on Artsakh that changed the region’s geography. The film explores the effects of war, crimes against humanity, and the impunity of the perpetrators
Gary Gananian’s work as a director spans music videos, short films, documentaries, and feature films. “Armenian Rhapsody,” a documentary that portrays Armenia in a musical and poetic fashion, was an official selection at the São Paulo International Film Festival in Brazil. The film won Best Documentary Film at the Yerevan Golden Apricot International Film Festival and was awarded with the British Council Special Prize.
“Mary and I are thrilled to work with Gary, who has a remarkable visual style and aesthetic. Gary is not only an incredible voice and talent, but his take on this subject matter is the most refreshing we’ve seen thus far. We are eager to support his work and look forward to the incredible stories he will continue to bring to life on the big screen,” said Founder and CEO Armen Karaoghlanian.
“I am very excited about the partnership established with Armenian Film Society. I was a fan of their work way before I got to meet Armen in person, and it makes me very grateful, as an Armenian filmmaker, to know that this kind of work is being done. We are few, and it is not easy to make projects come to life, but with the support of the community and organizations such as Armenian Film Society, we can all unite our strengths in putting our visions, themes, and subjects in the world,” said director Gary Gananian.
This marks Armenian Film Society’s second production as an organization, following the short documentary, “Back to Ashtarak.” The film, which is directed by Tigran Nersisian, won Best Short Documentary at the Pomegranate Film Festival, and through their partnership, has screened across California at universities such as USC, UCLA, UC Irvine, Fresno State, and will screen at UC San Diego on April 21.
The partnership on “The Peace of All” will launch with an online conversation between director Gary Gananian and executive producer Armen Karaoghlanian with historian Dr. Heitor Loureiro for the Armenian Institute in London. The event, “The Peace of All: A Conversation on Living History” will be held online on Thursday, April 13 at 11:30 a.m. PST and will examine living history as it applies to Armenian resilience, tracing the threads of time through the film.
Armenian Film Society will announce screenings for the film in various cities in the near future.