Eight years after the 1915 Armenian Genocide left more than a million Armenians dead or displaced, Armenia turned to the power of cinema to restore the country’s culture and heal its wounds.
The establishment of the Armenian State Cinema Committee in 1923 marked the beginning of a solid era for cinema in the country. As Armenian filmmakers faced restrictions from the Soviet Union, they did not stop sharing stories that continue to shape Armenian filmmakers today.
Now, a century later, hundreds of people gathered in Glendale September 6-10 to celebrate the heritage of Armenian cinema as part of the first Armenian Film Festival, launched by the Armenian Film Society, a non-profit organization that raises awareness of Armenian filmmakers.
“(This) film festival is a celebration, but it is also an opportunity to better showcase Armenia as a country (and) as a culture,” said Armen Karaoghlanian, alumnus of the School of cinematic arts and co-founder of the Armenian Cinematographic Society.
Armen and his wife Mary founded AFS in 2015. By hosting Q&A events and posting about Armenian filmmakers in the industry on social media, AFS has established its presence in the Armenian diaspora.
As support for AFS grew, the couple wanted to find more effective ways to bring the community together and spotlight Armenian artists, which led to the conception of the Armenian Film Festival.
“We decided to do it, mainly because we felt we were missing a film festival in Los Angeles that was for Armenians, by Armenians (and) about Armenians,” Karaoghlanian said. “We’ve been very intentional in the programming in that we want there to be a variety of stories, as many windows into who we are as people.”
The festival opened at the historic Alex Theater with the premiere of Emmy Award-winning actor and director Michael Goorjian’s film “Amerikatsi,” providing audiences with a “window” into the Armenian experience.
“Amerikatsi,” meaning “the American,” depicts a period of repatriation to Soviet Armenia. Charlie, the titular Amerikatsi played by Goorjian, returns to Armenia but finds himself stuck in prison due to a communications problem. Here, he gazes at the home of an Armenian couple from his prison window and discovers the beauty of their culture.
“Every Armenian truth from our past to our present (is tied) into a beautiful emotional experience,” said Serj Tankian, System of a Down musician and executive producer of the film, in a discussion after the screening.
These themes of resilience and community reappeared throughout the festival. Filmmakers Milena Mooradian and Avo John Kambourian cited the strong ties of the Armenian community as inspiration for their short films screened on the third day of the festival.
“Strength, resilience and community are so innate (in Armenians). This focus really inspired me to bring more people together to talk about things that people usually don’t want to talk about. said Mooradian, a third-generation Armenian-American, discussing the inspirations behind her short film “Cycles,” a semi-finalist at the Student Academy Awards.
“Cycles” is a surreal exploration of the menstrual cycle’s innate connection to the natural world. Mooradian wanted to encourage more open conversations about womanhood with this film.
“There is definitely a macho attitude, not just among Armenians but among men in general. I want them to see the film and recognize the power and beauty of what women have,” Mooradian said.
From a young age, Kambourian, a recent MFA graduate from SCA, was motivated by the Armenian community to pursue a career in film.
“I was always inspired by the stories I heard from my parents or my friends,” Kambourian said. “Seeing an Armenian name in the credits is (also) very inspiring because it says, ‘Oh, I can do that too.’”
Today, Kambourian finds his name on the big screen, as he presents his short documentary film, “Echoes of Kef Time”, which documents the journey of renowned Armenian American musician Richard Hagopian in transmitting folk music, known under the name “Kef”, to his grandchildren. follow in his footsteps.
Winner of Best Documentary Film at the USC Industry Relations Awards, “Echoes of Kef Time” represents a specific Armenian experience that also resonates across cultural boundaries.
“The message is that we survive through culture,” Kambourian said. “Whether it’s what’s happening now in Artsakh (or) what happened during the collapse of the Soviet Union… we’ve always come out of it with a lot of culture and introspection.”
The Armenian Film Festival was an opportunity for personal reflection within the Armenian community. From a book signing with legendary filmmaker Howard Kazanjian to countless screenings to a closing conversation with SCA alumnus and producer Sev Ohanian, the festival highlighted the diversity and creativity of the diaspora Armenian.
“I hope (the audience) can come away with a better understanding of who Armenians are because they could hear about the struggles that we go through, (but) I can’t think of a better way to really understand the people (Armenian) than through film,” Karaoghlanian said.