Yerevan Diaries: Cinema Star, "family space", film censorship, Lars von Trier and Parajanov

Here we are. Previously announced screening of Lars von Trier's Nymphomaniac has been cancelled by Cinema Star (part of recently opened Dalma Garden Mall Western style shopping centre in Yerevan), due to unspecified “complaints by individuals and groups". A day or two ago, I remember seeing this film being referred to as “porno-drama” by some on Armenian Facebook.

This reminded me hysteria and eventual cancellation of gay themed Parada film screening a year or so ago.

Even more outrageous, ridiculous, you name it, was Cinema Star's bullsh*t statement 'justifying' the cancelation of film screening by ‘cinema is a family space’ line.

«Որոշման համար հիմք են հանդիսացել մի շարք քաղաքացիների եւ հասարակական խմբերի բազմաթիվ առարկությունները, որոնք կասկած են հայտնել Հայաստանում մեծ էկրանով ֆիլմի ցուցադրության նպատակահարմարության վերաբերյալ: 2013 թվականին բացվելուց անմիջապես հետո Սինեմա Սթար Դալմա Գարդենը դարձավ «ընտանեկան տարածք» եւ երեւանցիների հանգստի սիրելի վայրերից մեկը: Հաշվի առնելով այդ հանգամանքը` մենք որոշեցինք խուսափել իրավիճակից, երբ ֆիլմի ցուցադրությունը կարող է հակասական կարծիքներ առաջացնել մեր այցելուների մոտ», - ասված է հաղորդագրության մեջ:

Forgetting for a moment such an utter nonsense as cinema calling itself a “family space”… If this was the case (which it is not, of course!), then why on earth did they announce the film's screening in the first place?!

If this is a some kind of “family space” cinema, then one would expect the showcase of only “U” or “PG”, or at the very maximum “12+” rating films there. One would expect. One would be wrong.

The even bigger irony is that this very cinema is currently screening a film that is as far from a “family friendly” notion as it can get - The Wolf of Wall Street, released in the UK under “18+” rating. A picture, still from The Wolf of Wall Street, is currently making rounds on Armenian sector of Facebook, along with abundance of jokes, memes and ridicules towards the Cinema Star and their statement.

But there is more ridiculousness incorporated within the statement. They also mentioned that they wanted avoiding the situation when a film’s screening generates “conflicting opinions” among cinema visitors… What?!… I have now ‘conflicting’ urge to laugh or scream…. Isn’t this the best that any film screening could achieve?!

This is a case of censorship, simple and plain. You better remove Parajanov’s picture from your foyer. You don't deserve such associations. You would have succumb to censorship and censor Parajanov too. Because you are such a coward, or as well known Armenian DJ Vakcina described on her FB page (translit AM): “vaxkot u tssik Cinema Star Armenia !”

Speculations are abound as to who is behind this cancellation. Some say it's the church, but no clear confirmation yet.

So here we are. Yesterday it was Parada, today it is Nymphomaniac… What awaits Armenia tomorrow?… Back to the USSR?… or shall I say forward to the Customs Union?

In this age of internet, don't they realise that censorship won't work in Armenia and will only achieve an opposite effect, generating even more interest about (in this case) the film… Don’t they realise how ridiculous they look now - both those who gave the orders and those who complied with such orders.

In the meantime, while publicly, with such stupid actions some want to present an image of Armenia as some kind of backwards, morality and ‘traditional values’ obsessed nation, word ‘porno’ is on top of most widely searched by Armenians online.

In any case, I will never go to any cinema or venue that supports or gave in to censorship.

"Auction of Souls": the first genocide movie ever made

(press release) “Ravished Armenia”, one of the first documentary memoirs of an eyewitness of Armenian Genocide was published in 1918, in New York. In this book Arshaluys (Aurora) Mardiganian, a girl from Chmshkatsag, Armenian populated town in the Ottoman Empire, gave a detailed account of the terrible experiences she endured during the deportations. At the age of fourteen Arshaluys was beaten and tortured in harems of Turkish officials and Kurdish tribesmen.

The book “Ravished Armenia” was completed when American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief offered to create a film based on the scenario of the book and all the profit, which later on reached $30 million, would be given to 60.000 Armenian orphans in the Near East for relief purposes. In 1918, at Metro Goldwin Mayer studio, director Oscar Apfel made “Auction of Souls” silent film, which actually became not only the first movie on the Armenian genocide, but also the first genocide movie ever made. More than 10.000 Armenian residents of Southern California, including 200 deported children, participated in the scenes.

The premiere of the “Auction of Souls” was held on February 16, 1919, in Plaza Hotel, New York under the auspices of Oliver Harriman and George Vanderbilt, members of American Committee for Armenian and Syrian Relief.

The film was shown in large cities of 23 U.S. states, in several countries of Latin America, including Mexico and Cuba. It was a success everywhere and was estimated as “epoch-making film”.

The “Auction of Souls” was taken to Great Britain in December, 1919, and censured. After long lasting negotiations the film was shown in Royal Albert Hall, by the permission of Scotland Yard and played for three weeks. At the beginning of 1920s Mardiganian’s “Ravished Armenia” was censured and taken off the British and American libraries.

For over eighty years film historians have been searching the world for the nine reels of Ravished Armenia but failed to find any trace. The remaining reels of the rare nitrate based film were lost. Some say the reels presumably sunk with a ship on their way to the port of Batoum, Georgia, or stolen by thieves. The full-length version of the film, which lasting 85 minutes, unfortunately, hasn’t been saved. With the efforts of Eduard Gozanlian, an Armenian from Argentina, a 20 minute segment of the reel was found in 1994. One copy of that segment is kept in the funds of Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute. The film included English, French and Armenian subtitles for every scene. The list of the original subtitles for Ravished Armenia is preserved in The Selig Collection at the Margaret Herrick Library of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. They are also reproduced in Anthony Slide’s book "Ravished Armenia and the Story of Aurora Mardiganian". This book was published by Scarecrow Press in 1997. It tells the story of the making of the film and reveals the young girl's survival story.

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the “Ravished Armenia”, the AGMI has issued a memorial postcard and has created an on-line exhibition at www.genocide-museum.am

Another banned film - "Opera" by Tigran Khzmalyan. Watch it!

*via A1+

Film was banned by the Armenian authorities from showing at the Venice Biennale.

Film which they did not want you to see: watch Tigran Paskevichyan’s “Expropriation”

This film tells a story of ordinary people who were deprived of their houses and property rights to make a way for the construction of the Northern Avenue and elite flats in downtown Yerevan. According to the report and various evidence provided, people did not get adequate compensation and the whole process was conducted in breach of Armenian legislation. They tried using legal ways – applying to the courts, but as it’s common in Armenia, no single case was decided by the courts against the authorities. This fact was specifically mentioned in "Expropriation" by Armenia’s human rights Ombudsman Armen Harutyunyan.

Film has been banned from the main Moscow cinema in Yerevan despite an initial agreement to screen it.

As I posted earlier, another Sardarapat film by well known Armenian film director Tigran Khzmalyan suffered the same fate. You may read the full script of the documentary Sardarapat on Hetq Online. I wish we could watch Sardarapat on YouTube too.

Censorship should have no place in Armenia. Censorship should be (and will be) defeated.

Expropriation
Written by Tigran Paskevichyan
Directed by Karen Adamyan
via A1+

Part 1


Part 2

Armenia: modern day dissidents

Noyan Tapan reports that the documentary Sardarapat by well known and respected Armenian film director Tigran Khzmalyan was taken off the programme to be shown in the Yerevan’s Moscow Cinema, despite preliminary agreement and despite the fact that the film was made by an order of the Ministry of Culture.

Khzmalyan said that he does not understand what is going on in Armenia. "I don't even have the right to show my work to the public. I can't imagine in what times we live." (news item in full – towards the end of this post)

Not surprising considering Khzmalyan’s opposition to the current state of affairs in Armenia in terms of democracy and human rights. He was among very few Armenian cultural workers who during the state of emergency last March signed an open letter to the then Armenia’s prime minister Serj Sargsyan protesting violent dispersion by the government of peaceful demonstrations on 1 March and suggesting practical steps which they believe could defuse current political crisis in Armenia (new parliamentary elections, release of political prisoners…)

Later, in May, speaking at the opposition congress in Yerevan, Tigran Khzmalyan (who did not vote for Armenia's first president Levon Ter-Petrosyan during February presidential election) reiterated these points.

In a related note, it was emerged today that several well known professionals, among them Khzmalyan, were apparently released of their teaching duties at the Yerevan State University, formally for technical and organisational reasons only. All of the dismissed lecturers are known to be critical to the current Armenian authorities.

YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 23, NOYAN TAPAN. (via Groong) The documentary "Sardarapat" of film director Tigran Khzmalian has been taken off the list of films shown in the Moscow Cinema. The film was made by an order of the RA ministry of culture.

It was ready in early May but has not been demonstrated so far. By a preliminary agreement, the documentary was to be shown in the Moscow Cinema on September 27, but four days before its screening the film director was informed that his documentary had been taken off the list of that cinema's films.

T. Khzmalian said during a talk with NT correspondent that he does not understand what is going on in Armenia. "I don't even have the right to show my work to the public. I can't imagine in what times we live."

A 68-minute version of the film was shown at the Narekatsi Center on September 16, but the "May" version is a 38-minute one and has another accentuation. As T. Khzmalian had said at the Narekatsi Center, during the film's shooting he as the scriptwriter discovered some interesting facts and video materials unknown to many. "I was sent sensational facts and video materials from various countries, and all of them occurred and were filmed in 1916-1920. I became acquainted with the documents which were not published due to the political situation in this region. I made an attempt to sum up what happened 90 years ago - now, at the beginning of the 21st century. All that happened at that time was because of feebleness of dull political figures, parties and improvident leaders," T. Khzmalian underlined.

*photo - via Aravot daily