Author: Hovhannisian John

Armenian Foreign Ministry notes progress in regional ties in 2004
Arminfo
12 Jan 05
YEREVAN
According to the Armenian Foreign Ministry’s report on the results of
2004, which was made public today, last year saw some progress in
Armenia’s relations with its South Caucasus neighbours.
Under the document, significant progress was registered in the
development of Armenian-Georgian relations. A number of top-level
visits were paid and a meeting of the bilateral intergovernmental
commission was held. Together with economic issues, the sides focused
on the establishment of a regional security system, confidence
building measures in conflict solution, etc.
In the domain of Armenian-Iranian relations, the sides continued their
dialogue towards developing bilateral relations even further and
implementing mutually beneficial economic projects.
The document says there was no progress in Armenian-Turkish relations
in 2004. Turkey continues to make the problem of opening the
Armenian-Turkish border and normalizing relations with Armenia
conditional on a number of things, while Armenia stands for the
establishment of normal relations with Turkey without any
preconditions. In 2004, the Armenian and Turkish foreign ministers met
in New York to discuss bilateral problems, while the foreign ministers
of Armenia, Turkey and Azerbaijan also held a trilateral meeting on
the sidelines of the NATO Istanbul summit.
As regards relations with Azerbaijan, the report says that apart from
the discussions over the Karabakh conflict these relations were
maintained within the confines of international organizations and
certain contacts at the level of public organizations. The report adds
that the obstacles put up by the Azerbaijani side to bar the Armenian
side from NATO’s Cooperative Best Effort-2004 exercises in Baku led to
their cancellation.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Radio Free Europe, Czech Rep
Jan 11 2005
Armenia, Azerbaijan Discussing Nagorno-Karabakh
11 January 2005 — The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan
are meeting in the Czech capital Prague today to discuss the
Azerbaijani-Armenian dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh.
The one-day meeting is being held behind closed doors and under the
auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
Nagorno-Karabakh is an ethnic Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan. It has
had de facto independence since Armenian-backed forces won control
over the territory in 1994 following a six-year war.
Armenian-backed forces and Azerbaijani troops continue to face off
across a demilitarized zone in the region.

PRESS RELEASE
January 7, 2005
Junior Achievement of Armenia
1102 North Brand Blvd. #61
Glendale, CA 91202
Contact: Beth Broussalian
Tel: 858-792-4656
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
Armenia Participates in Global Board Meeting
of Junior Achievement Worldwide
New York, NY – Armenia was among dozens of affiliates participating in
the quarterly Board Meeting of Junior Achievement Worldwide (JAW), the
world’s largest organization dedicated to educating young people about
economics, citizenship and business ethics.
JAW staff, members of its Board of Directors and representatives from
many of its 97 member countries, which range from France and Armenia to
Argentina, Egypt, Botswana and Japan, converged in New York City on
December 5 and 6 for the event. The JAW Board of Directors includes
executives of a variety of leading organizations and corporations,
including the Eurasia Foundation, Columbia University, Fedex, Verizon,
Monster, 3M, Hewlett-Packard, and HSBC.
Representing Armenia was Ani Darakdjian, US Director of Junior
Achievement of Armenia (JAA), an affiliate of Junior Achievement
Worldwide.
The agenda for the two-day event included committee meetings intended to
review strategic direction, program development and the organization’s
fundraising efforts around the world. Following the recent merger of
JA’s United States operations with its international affiliates, there
were also discussions about the continuing integration of the
organization, including how US regional chapters can assist member
nations in their development.
Doyin Oguntona, President of JA Nigeria, and Jaime Santibanez, President
of JA Mexico, both presented overviews of the growth and successes of
their respective organizations.
Participants also learned that Scott Bedbury, former Marketing head at
Nike and Starbuck’s, the mind behind Nike’s “Just Do It” ad
campaign, and the author of A New Brand World, will be helping JAW build
and protect its valuable brand. Mr. Bedbury happily accepted the job
because his wife had been positively impacted by Junior Achievement
courses as a teenager.
“Discussing the common concerns and goals of Junior Achievement
affiliates – from the greater Boston area to Flemish Belgium and the
outer reaches of Lori Province – makes it clear that the world is more
interconnected than it has ever been,” said Ms. Darakdjian. “We are all
in this together.”
Armenia may benefit from deepening ties with Europe in particular.
Efforts are already underway to establish a JAA Alumni Association, one
of the goals of which will be to interact with European alumni groups,
thus helping enhance relations, understanding and trade between Armenia
and Europe.
JA Armenia has been recognized as one of the great success stories in
the field of Economics education. In past JAW conferences, it has swept
awards ceremonies, garnering trophies for quality, innovation, growth
and media awareness. Though operating in one of the smallest countries
in the world, it is one of the largest and most dynamic JA affiliates,
with courses in each of Armenia’s 1359 high schools. JAA’s Yerevan
headquarters and its network of eight regional offices oversee the
ongoing training of thousands of educators who currently teach JAA’s
Civics and Economics courses to more than 170,000 students each year.
“I learned at this meeting that, of all 97 member nations, JA Armenia is
indeed one of the top-ranking nations, surpassed only by the United
Kingdom, Canada, Mexico, Kazakhstan and Russia,” said Ms Darakdjian. “We
set an example for so many Junior Achievement countries and are creating
a pathway for our students to integrate proudly into the global economy.
Our students are learning that not only can they play a significant role
in the direction Armenia is headed as a country but they can also be a
force in global trends.”
Junior Achievement of Armenia was established in 1992 to assist
Armenia’s transition to democratic governance and a free-market
economy. JAA’s mission is to give today’s Armenian youth the
necessary skills and knowledge to compete and succeed in tomorrow’s
world. The mission is accomplished through Economics and Civics
education. By 2005, nearly 20% of the total population will have taken a
course taught by a JAA-trained teacher. For additional information,
please call (818) 753-4997 or visit JAA’s website at

RA GOVERNMENT ALLOCATES 2.8 MLN DRAMS FOR HOLDING OF RA STUDENT SPORT GAMES
YEREVAN, October 8 (Noyan Tapan). According to the RA government’s
press service, by the RA government’s decision of October 7, the RA
Ministry of Education and Science allocated 2 bln, 800 thousand drams
(about 5.5 thousand dollars) to the RA Student Sport Federation from
the reserve fund of the government with the purpose of the holding of
the republicaan student sport games.

Israeli security officials hope for kinder, gentler Bethlehem Christmas
By PETER ENAV
The Associated Press
12/23/04 12:45 EST
JERUSALEM (AP) – Israel is taking special steps to insure a
merry Christmas season in Bethlehem, an Israeli military official
said Thursday, raising hopes for a kinder, gentler holiday in the
traditional birthplace of Jesus after four years of Israeli-Palestinian
violence.
International attention focuses on the West Bank town on Christmas
Eve, so Israeli officials see an improved Christmas atmosphere there
as a boon to Israel’s troubled image.
“The importance of Bethlehem to the Christian world is clear to us,”
said Lt. Col. Aviv Feigel, head of the army’s Bethlehem district
liaison office. “We in the army are preparing ourselves for this
momentous occasion.”
The main difference with previous years is the perception of an
improved atmosphere following the death of Yasser Arafat, though the
military could point to no actual changes in procedures.
Arafat died Nov. 11. Israel accused him of involvement in Palestinian
violence and is hoping for a more pragmatic, nonviolent leadership
to replace him.
Briefing reporters on Israel’s Bethlehem Christmas preparations, Feigel
said Israel would transfer security control there to Palestinian
forces between Dec. 24 and the Armenian Christmas on Jan. 19, and
provide detailed instructions to Israeli soldiers manning Bethlehem
area checkpoints on how to deal with Christian visitors.
Shortly after violence erupted in September 2000, Israel took
control of main West Bank towns and roads, setting up dozens of
roadblocks. Bethlehem is surrounded by Israeli roadblocks, controlling
entry and exit, and the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank
cuts through the town.
Within that framework, the military says it will allow Israeli and
Gaza Christians to visit Bethlehem and will not restrict the numbers
of West Bank Palestinians arriving there.
“Every soldier at the checkpoints will receive a detailed sheet of
information about the importance of Bethlehem to Christians, so they
will know how to behave,” he said.
However, Feigel himself seemed a bit confused by the religious
intricacies of the holiday. In distinguishing Dec. 25 from the separate
Greek Orthodox and Armenian celebrations, he referred to it as the
“Catholic Christmas,” apparently unaware that hundreds of millions
of Protestants celebrate it on the same day.
A town of 40,000 located 6 kilometers (4 miles) south of Jerusalem,
Bethlehem was once a magnet for foreign Christmas visitors, with tens
of thousands crowding Manger Square during the annual midnight mass.
But following the outbreak of Israeli-Palestinian violence in
September 2000, the numbers dropped precipitously, falling to only
2,000 last year.
This year Israeli officials are expecting about 4,000 visitors,
reflecting the recent reduction in violence and more relaxed
atmosphere.
(pe/ml)

Armenians Once Again!
Radikal newspaper
12/20/2004
When the European Union occupied the agenda of our lives entirely,
we turned around and looked at them in anger. There they had appeared
again. And they were even worse than the Kurds. Their existence
was never forgotten, never made to forget. Even into elementary
school curricula education we placed learning units about how we as
Turkish citizens can protect ourselves, our nation and our glorious
past against their claims. In order to be convincing in our denial,
we had to poison our children with this hatred and bestow upon them
a language to employ against this eternal enemy rights after the
reading and writing and the multiplication table. We tried for so long
and could not manage to do it. Now, as fully equipped tiny Turkish
officers, you start right away to fight against the ghosts of the past.
We could not get rid of employing official language practices such
as ‘the Armenians have once again gone rabid,’ ‘Armenian terror,’
‘Armenian seed’ that have totally lost its composure and dignity.
To top it all, we even tried to get the dark eyed, reticent children
in the Armenian schools of this motherland whose cultural mosaic we
now try to market to memorize this terminology. Of how Armenians were
such treacherous, deceitful enemies.
The talented musician Arto Tuncboyaciyan who multiplies the sounds of
this land in the United States narrates in the Postexpress journal:
“When I was six years’ old…I attended an Armenian school. Everyday we
had two hours of Turkish history there. In those history lessons I
learned how bad my own culture and Greek culture were. That was the
only thing we learned. Can you imagine the psychology of a six year
old child? When I got out of school, I could not look at peoples’
faces for those people were like my enemy. Just recently, about
ten days ago, they covered the course book of the National Security
course. In that book too it is as if two enemies are living together.
People do not know these things that I am talking about. We have to
talk about the things that deeply disturb us.”
The Turkish Armenians have always been forced to hide.
It has not been long ago, we still remember the
attacks against Hrant Dink and the Agos newspaper that made a news
item out of a claim strengthened by the statement of the historian
and linguist Pars Tuglaci. Tuglaci, who was a close friend of Gokcen,
stated that Gokcen (an adopted daughter of Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and
the first woman pilot of Turkey – MG) knew she was an Armenian but
remained silent on this matter because she was fearful of the reactions
it would produce. Of course, the reactions of the brave Turkish
nationalists against the claim that Gokcen had been ‘Turkified’ much
later through a manufactured imaginary family line were indeed violent.
The claim that Ataturk’s adopted daughter was Armenian was evaluated
as blasphemy, slander and mudslinging. And that was not enough, the
General Staff of the Turkish Military warned the media on the subject
of ‘dangerous’ thoughts. The Turkish Air flight Society decreed that
“knowingly or unknowingly there is an attempt to destroy another value
of being a Turk.” The crime of Hrant Dink and Agos was of a kind that
could never be forgiven. Immediately pillagers appeared on their
footsteps crying out ‘We may suddenly descend upon you one night,’
‘Love it or leave it.’ As the strongest, longest living taboo, the
‘Armenian’ topic never let go of us.
Abdullah the Lizard
We ranted a lot about the Armenians. As they could not say anything,
as they continued to exist in this country as shadows, we kept
elaborating on the history our elders wrote with an increasingly
irritable language. Against the ill-temper of the diaspora Armenians,
we became even more ill-tempered and ill-treated more and more the
citizens with whom we lived together. But now it is their turn to
speak. After being silent for a century, they have many stories to
tell. We have to make it a priority to listen to them. We all have
a lot to learn from the story of having to live on these lands as
Armenians. I want to share with you an editorial of Hrant Dink,
summarizing it a little.
“The year is 1918, a village on the skirts of the Suphan mountain.
He had barely escaped from all that had transpired. He had barely found
refuge. To the village of Ismail of the Pelteks. There he was mixed
into the peasants living away. It was as if the shadowy shelter he had
made at a corner of the sheep fold was as big as the thin crack between
the two stones on the built wall. Like the lizards at the corners
of those cracks… He lived hiding away. He occasionally surfaced,
appeared next to those whose hearts carried some sense justice,
helped out with the harvest, sweated as much as he was capable,
had some bread, and returned to his shelter. His new name among the
peasants was Abdullah. ‘The one Allah sent.’ There he lived away in
a hole in the wall Allah had forgotten. Until Memo, the third son
from the last of the Pelteks of Ismail saw him peeing by a wall.
He jumped and started running away shouting. “Run here, you guys’
he shouted, ‘Look at Abdullah’s. His has a cap on it.’ It is narrated
that Abdullah’s escape from the wall to the sheep fold was just like
that of a lizard. Soon after stones started to rain on the sheep fold.
Young old, everyone had gathered and were stoning the fold shouting:
‘come out, infidel, we know who you are, come out.’ After a while
the shouts came closer and turned into footsteps. The door of the
fold opened. The first to enter was Ismail of Pelteks who had always
protected Abdullah, followed by others. Ismail stopped the ones
behind him, took a step forward. ‘Where are you Abdullah, come here
so I can save you, give me your hand.’ Ismail’s hand did indeed touch
the hand Abdullah had extended, but he suddenly withdrew startled.
What was extended was a bloodied piece of skin. Ismail turned to
those behind him. ‘Let’s go guys, leave the poor thing alone, we’re
going out.’ After that they left the circumcised Abdullah alone.
They did not touch him again. Those of you who as children have
hunted lizards would know. When you reach out and grab them only
their tails remain in your hand. The year is 2004. Some (newspaper)
has declared on their headline ‘Look at the Armenian.’ (As a reaction
to the Armenian lobby in Europe protesting Turkey’s candidacy to the
European Union on the grounds of Turkey’s denial of the events of 1915
– MG). Some people are obviously out to hunt lizards. And I now feel,
don’t let it be misunderstood, of course not because I am frightened
or humiliated, like ‘Abdullah the lizard,’ go figure? Forgive me,
must be in the nature of being a reptile!”
We have to listen to Hrant Dink who states that “To situate one’s
identity in relation to the existence of the other is sickly.
If you need an enemy to keep your identity alive, your identity is
diseased.” By not forgetting that both the diaspora Armenians and
Turkish nationalists are stricken with the same illness, by tenderly
cherishing all the identities living on these lands, we can beckon
those days when all these identities will live by protecting each
other’s stories. We can establish our world on painful confrontations
cleansed of secrets and lies. Starting from ground zero.
Memoirs are being written
You should immediately read the memoir entitled ‘My Grandmother’ by
Fethiye Cetin, a member of the Istanbul Bar Association and the Human
Rights Executive Council. The story of her grandmother Seher is also
the reality of these lands. For the adventure that starts with her
telling the granddaughter she loved very much that her real name was
Heranus, that she had witnessed the violence at tehcir, that is, the
march of death is the adventure that belongs to all of us. The story
that Cetin narrates with great sincerity is not about the unknown
rituals of faraway lands. Unless we know the long life and existence
of Heranus, whose identity papers had the notation ‘convert’ writ on
it, who in her old age asked her granddaughter to track down those of
her family who survived, unless we know how she lived like a ‘lizard’
yearning for her family from whose bosom she was torn away as a puny
little girl, unless we do all of this, we will not be able to develop
any thoughts or feelings about a people whose roots were eradicated
one way or another. For us to be able to not only look the Armenians
who have remained among us in the face but also to look each other
in the face, the memoirs of no one should be buried into darkness.
You must also read Takuhi Tovmasyan’s extraordinary ‘Cookbook-Memoir’
entitled ‘May Your Table be Plentiful.’ What remains in her memory
and palate from the kitchen of her grandmothers also reflects the
traces of a culture we pretended until now to not exist.
Finally, let us once again listen to Hrant: “We should not really think
of the disappearance of Armenians solely as the absence of one group.
With their three thousand year old settled existence, the Armenians
were the driving force of these lands. They were the craftsmen,
artisans, merchants. They carried the cultural and artistic power
of this society to the West. They were close to the West with their
economy as well: the entrance of Western culture into this society
was through their windows. What happened? We eradicated the roots of
all of them. Left behind neither a craftsmen nor an artisan. I read
the books of that period. There was a college in Harput providing
instruction in seven languages for instance.
In Harput, Van, Erzincan, Erzurum, there was unbelievable development.
I sometimes think that if the Armenians were still living in those
lands, today it would have been the West that would have imploring us
‘Let us be together.'”
–Boundary_(ID_DfqKXjLiHusqO+oqQhM3BA)–

500 Armenian families settled in occupied territories in 3 years
Assa-Irada, Azerbaijan
Dec 21 2004
40 houses will be built in 2005 for Armenian families being settled
in the occupied lands of Azerbaijan, says chairman of the department
on migration and refugees of the self-proclaimed ‘Upper Garabagh
republic’ Amirkhanian. He said that a need has emerged to resolve the
social problems of Armenians being settled in Upper Garabagh.
“Starting in 2005, 30-40 houses will be built every year for those
being settled in Upper Garabagh.”
105 families were moved from Armenia to Upper Garabagh and adjacent
regions occupied by this country in 2002, 165 families in 2003 and
200 this year. Armenia intends to settle 68,000 Armenians in these
territories by 2010.*

NewRatings.com
Dec 20 2004
Dr Leonid Roshal, the Russian Paediatrician who was Chief Negotiator
During the Beslan Siege, is Named Reader’s Digest ‘
Monday, December 20, 2004 7:01:00 PM ET
PRNewswire
LONDON, December 20 /PRNewswire/ —
Russian paediatrician Dr Leonid Roshal, who acted as an intermediary
during the Beslan school siege last September, is to receive the
Reader’s Digest European of the Year Award 2005 for his tireless and
dedicated work helping children who have been injured in disasters
and conflicts around the world.
Dr Roshal was chosen by the Editors-in-Chief of the 18 European
editions of Reader’s Digest magazine, which reach 4.2 million
subscribers. The Reader’s Digest European of the Year is awarded to
the person who in the Editors’ opinion best embodies the contemporary
expression of Europe’s values and traditions. The award will be
presented to Dr Roshal at a ceremony in Moscow on 19 January 2005.
Dr Roshal, 71, is head of the Moscow Scientific Research Institute
for Emergency Children’s Surgery and Traumatology and founder of an
international aid organisation which aims to rescue children in
trouble. Over the last two decades, thousands of young people with
horrific injuries have benefited from his specialised emergency care.
He has also become a hero in his own country. When terrorists seized
School Number One in Beslan in September, they asked for Dr Roshal to
act as mediator. This wasn’t the first time he had been called on as
an intermediary. Dr Roshal had gained international renown in 2002
for the crucial role he played when the Dubrovka theatre in Moscow
was seized by Chechen terrorists and he managed to negotiate freedom
for some of the hostages.
Within 30 minutes of arriving in Beslan he was speaking to the
terrorists and implored them, in vain, to allow in food, water and
medicines. Over the next two days he served as main negotiator and
alerted nearby hospitals for possible casualties. On the third day a
powerful explosion inside the school triggered a savage gun battle
with the special forces outside. According to official figures 379
people died, including 171 children and 30 terrorists. A further 700
hostages were injured, but thanks to Dr Roshal’s and his colleagues’
meticulous medical preparation all received medical attention within
two hours.
Dr Roshal’s international aid work started in 1988 when he and 34
doctors from Moscow’s hospitals volunteered to help the relief effort
following the devastating 1988 earthquake in Armenia.
Since then his work has taken him to more than two dozen major
incidents on four continents, including the first Gulf War, Romania,
former Yugoslavia, Nagorno Karabakh, the US, Egypt, Japan,
Afghanistan, Turkey, India and Algeria.
The full story of Dr Roshal’s remarkable achievements, written by
contributing editor Brian Eads, is published simultaneously in all
European editions of Reader’s Digest in January.
Dr Roshal is the tenth winner of the Reader’s Digest European of the
Year award, worth EUR5,000.
A high resolution photograph to accompany this release is available
to the media free of charge at (+44-207-608-1000)
Reader’s Digest

TOLL SYSTEM ‘WILL ADD TO BURDEN’
by Bassam Za’za’ and Bassma Al Jandaly, Staff Reporters
Gulf News, United Arab Emirates
December 19, 2004
Motorists publicly denounced the proposed toll system yesterday,
saying the new fee would only add to their already rapidly rising
cost of living.
Armen Hagobian, an Armenian manager who works in the tourism industry,
said the proposed toll system was a bad idea.
“I don’t think I can pay any fils for entering or leaving Dubai. On
the contrary, I believe that I should be paid for promoting Dubai
and bringing in tourists.
“If that means any additional infrastructure, which makes my life
easier, then I would agree to pay. Otherwise, I live in Sharjah because
the rents are much more affordable and reasonable than they are Dubai.
“If the authorities install the toll system, I am ready to leave my
Dubai office and move elsewhere.”
Ayman, a salesman working in a company in Dubai, echoed the same
feelings. “I live in Ajman and work in Dubai. I have to travel to
Dubai four times a day. I cannot afford an apartment in Dubai because
the rents are high.
“So what will I do after the implementation of the toll system? How
much do I have to pay per month? Shall I travel by boat to reach work
every day?” Ayman asked.
“If they offer cheap flats in Dubai, I will be the first to live
there, but it is too expensive for low income families,” said Amir,
a Pakistani.
Haytham Al Shami, a traffic analyst, said the use of a toll tax will
reduce traffic but it should be used during peak hours only and not
on the weekends. “If it is applied in a fair way, with a fair toll,
it is a good way to reduce traffic,” he said.
“Such a toll system is adopted in London, Paris and many other European
cities,” he said.
Jad Mustafa, a 25-year-old Lebanese who works as an account executive,
disagreed.
“This toll will increase workers’ expenses by Dh250 to Dh300 a month.
This system will increase traffic congestion if motorists were required
to stop and pay.
“Many Sharjah residents will be forced to move to Dubai. Some might
even leave the country because the only reason that brought them
here is to earn a living and save. The toll system will make life
more expensive. It’s going to be a huge burden.
“In the past few years, the cost of living in the UAE has taken off
like a rocket. The daily living expenses are increasing, and our
salaries are not,” said Mustafa.
Jamal Saif, newly married UAE national and government employee,
said he is against the toll system.
“We cannot afford to pay for petrol, especially after it recently
increased. Prices of food, vegetables, beverages and clothing have
also increased.
“I cannot imagine myself paying the toll. We already pay taxes,
known as road fees, about Dh250 in Dubai and Dh150 in Sharjah, when
renewing our car registration.”
Saif lives behind Al Qasimi hospital. He spends about three to four
hours a day on the roads between Sharjah and Dubai.
“Before installing the toll system, the authorities should consult the
people. If this toll system goes ahead, it would be an unreasonable
and illogical decision.
“I believe the government should be more careful when issuing new
drivers’ licences. Selling new cars to new drivers should also be
monitored,” he said.
A merchant at one shopping complex in Dubai said the toll system
would have a negative impact on business in Dubai.
“Citizens from other emirates come to Dubai for shopping. The toll
on entering the city, no matter how little, will drive them away,”
he said.
“Before installing the toll system, the authorities should consult
the people.
If this toll system goes ahead, it would be an unreasonable and
illogical decision.”

SURPRISES IN THE PACKAGE
The Hindu, India
December 18, 2004
THE CHENNAI International Film Festival (on till December 27),
organised by the Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, has expanded this
year to screen five films a day at Anand and Little Anand Theatres,
and four films at the Film Chamber of Commerce.
Anand is the place to be on December 18 where award winning
Armenian-born, Canada-bred Atom Egoyan’s “Ararat” (2004) is being
screened. The film probes into tragedies of living families and
distant history. Raffi’s cans of films are relentlessly examined by
about-to-retire customs officer David, struggling with his own
adjustment problems with gay son’s lifestyle. The interrogation
becomes a quest for identity through deceit, denial and repression.
The day ends with a Brazilian romp in “Celeste and Estrela” (2003)
where Paulo Estrela narrated a hilarious story of falling in love
with film maker Celeste who is passionate about making a
gut-wrenching film about her motherland. Finding funds is an arduous
struggle. We flit in and out of corporate houses, studios, script
writing classes, location shoots, and into the dreams of Celeste and
Estrela. Betse de Paula’s film foams with farce and irony, turning an
amused but sympathetic eye on men and women with and without
missions.
A wistful note
Known more for his kooky grotequerie, Giuseppe Pupi Avati strikes a
wistful note in “The Heart is Everywhere” (Italy, 2003). A
nondescript teacher’s son is urged by cranky father to find a wife,
stumbles into a home for the blind and meets the stunning woman,
robbed of her eyes in an accident. Silvio Soldini’s “Agata and the
Storm” trickles into a woman’s craze for younger men and her
lost-and-found brother’s infidelities.
Karen Shakhnazarov’s “The Rider Named Death” (Russia) shows Moscow at
the dawn of the 20th Century. This is the acclaimed depiction of the
plot to assassinate a Grand Duke in his home and at the Bolshoi
theatre.
A sweet-sad tale
The CIFF also brings “Shwaas” (Marathi, Sandeep Sawant), India’s
entry for the Oscars on December 19. This debut film is a sweet-sad
tale of a grandfather trying to do his best for the grandchild with
retinoblastoma, who must lose both his eyes to survive. The film had
a commercial success in Maharashtra before winning the National Award
for Best Film. The day also brings “Nizhalkuthu” (Film Chamber
Theatre), part of the festival’s retrospective on one of India’s best
film makers. Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s narrative resounds with the
echoes of a parable. We watch the village hangman at home,
interacting with family and community, until the ominous call comes
for him to discharge his duty. The son has to shoulder the job now.
The eerie count down begins…
Catch up with “Goodbye Lenin” if you haven’t seen it already. A young
man struggles to save his politically active mother from the shock of
learning that her world has crumbled. (She goes into a coma in
Communist East Germany and wakes up in a capitalist nation). Visually
thrilling moments include the floating of Lenin’s figure above and
across the street, pointing a grim finger at pedestrians below.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress