FRESNO — The Armenian Studies Program, the AGBU Greater Fresno Chapter, AGBU Arts, and CineCulture present “Armenians in Film: Six Short Films by Armenian Filmmakers” at 5:30PM on Friday, February 16, 2024, in the Leon S. and Pete Peters Educational Center Auditorium )west end of the SaveMart Center), 5010 N. Woodrow Ave., on the Fresno State campus. Following the screening, which is part of the Armenian Studies Program Spring 2024 Lecture Series, the audience will have the opportunity to virtually discuss the films with the directors.
Established in 2015, AGBU Arts’ “Armenians in Film” Film Series is an annual, international event that unites talented Armenian filmmakers from all over the globe. In the past nine years, over fifty short films have been screened by filmmakers from the United States, Canada, France, Brazil, the United Kingdom, China, Bulgaria, Armenia, and more.
These talented artists featured are graduates of prestigious film schools, such as NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Columbia University and UCLA, and have screened their films at legendary festivals such as the Cannes Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, Sundance Film Festival, Sunset Film Festival, and more.
Film lineup:
Dehatsi – I was Another Place
Anush is a young Armenian woman who travels to Brazil without a return ticket. Once she is welcomed and inserted into the Armenian community in São Paulo, her biggest challenge is to adapt to the large and cosmopolitan city, so far from her roots. Directed by Tatiana Boudakian, 20 minutes.
Crossing the Blue: (Armenia)
Anoush, an emigrant, who fled from her abusive husband in post-Soviet Armenia, is facing eventual deportation years later… Directed by Victoria Aleksanyan, 12 minutes.
Sunset
With sunlight quickly fading on the horizon, a student goes on a fantastic journey contemplating the importance of happiness and budding friendships versus their studies. Directed by Kristine Khanamiryan, 4 minutes.
Stones
The brutal Nagorno-Karabakh War of 2020 ended in a Russian-mediated ceasefire forcing Armenia to cede territory it had controlled to Azerbaijan. As a result, thousands of Armenians living in these regions were forced to leave their homes. Days before the handover deadline, a group of volunteers risk their lives to enter the Lachin region to search for and save beautiful sacred ancient Armenian stone inscriptions known as “khachkars,” from destruction. Directed by Arman Ayvazyan, 17 minutes.
The Road
The poetic vision of director Charlotte Mungomery converges with the spellbinding score of Armenian-Australian jazz band, Zela Margossian Quintet in “The Road.” This international art-film collaboration catches you from its opening, luring you into a liminal desert space, blurring the bounds between diorama and reality. Circumnavigate these stories of isolation and connection through the opulent and atmospheric eye of a filmmaking collective poised from their recent experimental opera film, ‘A Delicate Fire.’ Directed by Charlotte Mungomery, 8 minutes.
The Mud
Rafael is approaching his home. At the entrance he notices a lone goose. No one in the village keeps geese. When he opens the door the goose sneaks inside. Without removing his dirty shoes, Rafael rushes after the goose and catches it. When in the middle of the room he notices that he hadn’t removed shoes and that the room is now dirty. He takes off the shoes and without cleaning the dirt marks on the floor leaves the house to climb the mountain. Shortly afterward Ashkhen, Rafael’s wife, returns home and sees the disappearing footprints and the feathers on the floor and the mystery unfolds…Directed by Vahan Grigoryan, 11 minutes.
Admission for the film screening and discussion is free and free parking is available near the west entrance of the SaveMart Center. A parking pass is not required after 4PM for the Friday evening screening.
For information about upcoming Armenian Studies Program presentations, please follow us on our Facebook page, @ArmenianStudiesFresnoState or at the Program website, https://fresnostate.edu/armenianstudies.
