CINEMA AND APRICOTS
Vestnik Kavkaza
July 11 2012
Russia
Susanna Petrosyan, Yerevan. Exclusively to VK
When apricots ripen in Yerevan, the international cinema festival
opens there. On July 8 the IX festival “Golden Apricot” was opened
by the comedy “Shor and Shorshor” shot by one of pioneers of Armenian
cinema, Amo Beknazaryan, in 1926.
The program “Yerevan Premieres” includes the drama “Love” by the
Austrian director Michael Haneke which was awarded Palme d’Or at the
Cannes festival. The leading actors are Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis
Trintingnant. Along with it other participants of the Cannes festival
will be presented: “Moonrise Kingdom” by Wes Anderson, “Beyond the
Hills” by Cristian Mungiu and “Paradise: Love” by Ulrich Seidl.
This year “Golden Apricot” received a record number of application
forms – 1250. It is twice more than last year. For the showcase only
150 pictures from 44 countries were selected. “150 is a number that
became regular for our cinema festival. The thing is that the number of
cinema halls is limited in Yerevan, and it restricts our opportunities
to show more movies,” the head executive of the festival, Mikael
Stamboltsyan, said. 90 movies were selected for participation in the
contest program in four nominations: “International fiction cinema,”
“International documentary,” “Armenian View” and short-films contest
“Kernel.” This year 560 applicant forms were sent for participation
in the contest “Kernel.” It is thrice more than in 2011.
The biggest interest is caused by the program of fiction movies. The
jury of fiction movies contest is headed by prominent Spanish director
Victor Erice. 12 pictures by directors from France, Switzerland,
Turkey, Russia, Poland, Iran, and other countries were picked up for
participation in the contest.
This year the festival in Yerevan declared The World Capital of
Books by UNSECO received a new out-of-competition program “A Book
and Cinema.” It requires demonstration of movies based on works by
classics of the world and Armenian literature – Granta Matevosyan,
Ovannes Tumanyan, Charles Dickens, Thomas Mann, Gunter Grass, Charlotte
Bronte, and others.
Audience has an opportunity to see the program devoted to cinema
history – arrangements devoted to the 85th anniversary of Frunze
Dovlatyan, the 90th anniversary of Yuri Yerznkyan, and the 80th
anniversary of Andrey Tarkosky.
Participants of the forum of joint cinema production Directors Without
Borders will present their work. The forum will take place for the
sixth time this year. Yerevan’s residents will see works by directors
from the post-Soviet area within the program Cinema of the CIS
Countries. The traditional program Armenian-Turkish Platform includes
demonstration of five Turkish and five Armenian director’s movies.
Among significant figures of the cinema festival are Turkish directors
Enis Ryza and Ozdjan Alper who has brought the movie “Autumn.” The
Turkish mass media covers the event for the first time.
Alexander Sokurov takes part in the festival Golden Apricot as well.
His movies received awards in Cannes, Berlin, Locarno, Moscow, and
Venice. Within the retrospective program it is planned to show his
movies “Molokh”, “Taurus”, “The Sun”, and “Faust”.
For the first time an awarded from the Armenian Apostolic Church “Let
there be light” will be presented in the cinema festival. Alexander
Sokurov is first to receive it. It will be awarded on July 12 for
propaganda of spiritual, cultural, and humanitarian values and
contribution to international cinema art. .