WORLD-FAMOUS FILM DIRECTOR ARTAVAZD PELESHIAN READY TO WORK IN ARMENIA
YEREVAN, JULY 14, NOYAN TAPAN – ARMENIANS TODAY. On July 14, two
well-known guests of the Yerevan "Voske Tsiran" (Golden Apricot)
International Film Festival, Directors Artavazd Peleshian and American
documentarist Godfrey Reggio met with the Armenian journalists at
the National Gallery of Armenia.
The first hand acquaintance of the two directors took place just in
the days of Golden Apricot. Creating in different continents, they are
acquainted with the works of each other very well. Godfrey Reggio told
that when he was invited to Moscow for lecturing several years ago, he
refused his honorarium demanding the showing of the 35 mm tape variants
of all the films by Artavazd Peleshian in return. "If I compare me
with fire, then I am only the flash of it and the Master (Peleshian)
compared with that fire is just a lightning", said Godfrey Reggio.
He noticed that for such a great artist as Peleshian is, it’s too
difficult to find financial resources and advised the local businessmen
to support him in shooting new films.
Artavazd Peleshian mentioned that he has not shot a film for already
14 years, but "now I write, think and shoot in my mind without losing
hope that I will shoot again." The master informed that when he was
in Armenia last March, the then Minister of Culture Gevorg Gevorgian
visited him and they agreed that the "Hayfilm" film studio would pass
some part, namely, 250 thousand dollars a year, from 10 million dollars
necessary for shooting his film "Homo Sapiens". Besides, Gevorgian
promised to meet with the Prime Minister on this issue, but some time
later he was dismissed from his post and nothing is known any longer.
Peleshian has a specific commentary about Sergey Parajanov phenomenon:
"The phenomenon of Parajanov is in his innovation, in the sphere
of cinema. Cinema gradually began to use all the arts; theater,
photography, literature, etc.
Parajanov was the first to use the possibilities of painting in
cinema. He did not move the painting to cinema, but was able to use the
possibilities of painting through cinema. He used as little literature
in his films as possible. His images did not speak with each other,
they spoke with the audience. His images looked at the hall but not
at each other".
Peleshian mentioned that he is ready to teach in Armenia, though he
has never received such a suggestion up to now. Besides, the master is
also ready to work with TV companies. At present he teaches at the film
institutes of Paris and Frankfurt, he lives in Moscow and in Yerevan.