Equal parts travel show, magic special, and experimental film, City of Cards invites viewers to join a tour of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia. But this isn’t an ordinary tour. Hovannisian, who was born in Los Angeles but has lived in Yerevan since childhood, is in pursuit not of architecture and cuisine, but of secrets, symbols, superstitions, and the mysterious idea of chakatagir – the Armenian word for “destiny,” which translates literally into “the writing on the forehead.”
As he uncovers the secrets of the city, Hovannisian creates and performs original illusions inspired by them. In the course of the film, he reads minds, finds fortunes in coffee cups, and hypnotizes live audience members. You can watch City of Cards at hovannisian.com/cityofcards
Garin Hovannisian is a writer, filmmaker, and illusionist who lives in Yerevan, Armenia. He is the author of Family of Shadows and has written for The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and The Atlantic.
His forthcoming films Nowhere and City of Cards – along with his series Magic Stories – reflect his new work as a magician, hypnotist, and illusion artist. Learn more about his work and subscribe to Magic Stories at hovannisian.com
Garin is also the founder of the arts foundation Creative Armenia and the incubator Artbox, through which he discovers, develops, and champions emerging artists.
City of Cards is directed, written, and edited by Garin Hovannisian; produced by Garin Hovannisian and Alec Mouhibian; and associate produced by Anush Ter-Khachatryan. The magic special features cinematography by Suren Tadevosyan, ACG, original score by Van Sarkissian, sound design by Lucien Palmer, CAS, production design by Tigran Asaturov, and visual effects by Vasil Shahbazyan.
YEREVAN -Yerevan will host the World Congress on Innovation and Technology (WCIT) 2024 on October…
YEREVAN -- On May 20, 2024, the Central Bank of Armenia put into circulation a…
YEREVAN -- Armenia’s political leadership expressed on Monday condolences over the deaths of Iran’s President…
STRASBOURG - Addressing the 133rd Session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of…
YEREVAN -- Not an inch of Armenian land has been ceded to Azerbaijan during the…
LUXEMBOURG -- The Chamber of Deputies of Luxembourg unanimously adopted a motion expressing support for…