Author: Kanayan Tamar

CANNES FILM FESTIVAL HITS HALFWAY SHORT ON BUZZ

ARMENPRESS
MAY 17, 2010
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, MAY 17, ARMENPRESS. Crowds crammed to see the stars walk the
red carpet, champagne flowed, fireworks filled the sky and screenings
were packed, yet the Cannes film festival hit halfway on Monday
lacking one key ingredient — buzz, Armenpress reports citing Reuters.

The world’s largest annual cinema showcase opened on May 12 and
closes on May 23, when one of 19 movies in the main competition will
be named winner of the coveted Palme d’Or.

As important to a successful festival are the hundreds of films shown
out of competition and in the giant marketplace where producers and
distributors wheel and deal.

With the majority of competition films yet to screen, the early front
runner for the top prize is British director Mike Leigh, whose wry
family drama "Another Year" was widely praised. He won the main award
with "Secrets and Lies" in 1996.

Also popular was Mexican filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu’s
"Biutiful," a moving portrayal of a dying father played by Javier
Bardem, and a low-budget drama from Chad, "A Screaming Man," set
against conflict in the African country.

But most movies eligible for awards have disappointed so far, and
what stars there have been in the French Riviera resort have generally
failed to shine either on-screen or off.

"I think we’re lacking people who know how to play to the media, how
to play it up and how to charm on the red carpet and in interviews,"
said Variety critic Jay Weissberg.

"At the Cannes festival in particular, it needs that interplay between
the star and the press and public, and we haven’t really had that yet."

There is still time, with major celebrities including Mick Jagger and
Sean Penn expected to arrive along with an influx of party goers from
nearby Monaco, venue of Sunday’s Grand Prix.

"It’s been fairly quiet so far, but after Monaco, when all the yachts
come, it should go ‘boom’," said one event organizer.

Hollywood was in town in the form of Ridley Scott’s "Robin Hood"
starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett, and Woody Allen brought
"You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger" to the festival held on the
palm-lined waterfront.

Most topical, and giving Cannes a brief shot in the arm, was "Wall
Street: Money Never Sleeps," Oliver Stone’s slick follow-up to his
1987 hit "Wall Street" with Michael Douglas back as the ruthless
corporate raider Gordon Gekko.

None was a critical hit, although a muted reception in Cannes need
not dent their box office prospects.

Weighing on the mood here is uncertainty over the strength of the
global economic recovery, which has hit financing and could further
squeeze the market for independent, low- to medium-sized films from
the United States and elsewhere.

"Economics have made a disparity between studio movies, most of
which are at $70 million or more (to make), that have advertising
and marketing budgets of $30-40 million or more, and your independent
pictures which are under $12-15 million," Oscar winner Douglas said
in Cannes.

"It’s a bad situation right now, it’s a huge disparity. It’s not a
good sign for the future."

His concerns appeared to be borne out in Cannes, where there is only
one U.S. entry in competition, Doug Liman’s "Fair Game" based on the
story of outed CIA agent Valerie Plame and her husband starring Naomi
Watts and Penn.

Hollywood movies tend to feature out of competition, and use Cannes as
a global media platform due to the presence of thousands of reporters
from all over the world.

Not everyone was downbeat, however, seeing resilience in the movie
industry during tough economic times and eyeing opportunities to tap
the booming 3D market.

Gonzalo Guarch : le pouvoir turc doit se purifier des péchés du passé

ARMENIE

dimanche16 mai 2010, par Stéphane/armenews

Le pouvoir turc doit se purifier des péchés du passé, dit l’auteur
espagnol Gonzalo Guarch, un auteur de trois livres sur le génocide
arménien. Il est convaincu que l’Arménie serait un pays plus développé
sans les événements tragiques de 1915.

` Je pense que la Turquie d’aujourd’hui n’est pas coupable des
événements de 1915 comme l’Allemagne d’aujourd’hui n’a aucun rapport
avec le Nazisme. Beaucoup de citoyens Turcs veulent aujourd’hui
normaliser les relations avec l’Arménie. Maintenant le pouvoir turc
doit se purifier des péchés du passé, qu’ils refusent d’accepter, ‘ a
dit l’auteur.

S’exprimant sur les protocoles arméno-turcs et la décision de
suspendre le processus de leur ratification, Gonzalo Guarch a dit `
les protocoles n’ont aucun grand avenir. ‘

Avec ses trois livres – l’Arbre généalogique arménien, le Testament
arménien et la Montagne Blanche – l’auteur veut régénérer la mémoire
et faire condamner les événements tragiques qui sont arrivés à la
tournure du 20ème siècle.

` Je veux aussi que le peuple espagnol connaisse plus les événements ‘
a dit Gonzalo Guarch.

L’auteur espagnol a avoué être amoureux de l’Arménie. ` J’ai été en
Arménie deux fois. Je suis amoureux de l’Arménie et ma femme le sait ‘
a conclu l’auteur espagnol.

Joint Russian-Turkish NPP construction deal to be sent to parliament
in days – Turkish minister

ANKARA, May 12 (RIA Novosti)

The agreement on cooperation with Russia in the construction of
Turkey’s first nuclear power plant will be sent for ratification to
the Turkish parliament within the next 7-10 days, Turkish Energy
Minister Taner Yildiz said on Wednesday.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev paid an official visit to Ankara on
Wednesday to sign deals including on the construction of a nuclear
power plant and the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin told journalists in Ankara
that over $20 billion will be invested in the construction of Turkey’s
first nuclear power plant.

An international consortium consisting of Russia’s nuclear power
equipment and service export monopoly Atomstroyexport, electricity
export company Inter RAO UES and Turkish Park Teknik won a tender for
the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant in June 2009.

The consortium proposed building four nuclear power units with a
capacity of 1.2 GW each under a Russian project. The nuclear power
plant was expected to be built near the Mediterranean port of Mersin
in the Akkuyu area and put into operation in 2016-2019.

"The nuclear energy deal opens a new page in cooperation between our
states," Medvedev said.

WESTERN COMMUNITY REALIZES FOR THE FIRST TIME 16 YEARS LATER WHICH PROBLEMS OF UNIVERSAL IMPORTANCE IT CREATED FOR ITSELF: EXPERT

ArmInfo
2010-05-14 13:28:00

ArmInfo. "The military rhetoric of Azerbaijan has become a serious
subject for discussion, however, we must finally understand
why Azerbaijan resorts to threats. Why it permanently threats in
parallel with participation in negotiations?" As ArmInfo’s special
correspondent in Stepanakert reports, Senior Analyst of the Armenian
Center for National and international Studies (ACNIS) Manvel Sargsyan
said during a Roundtable on a topic "Karabakh settlement. Legal and
Political Aspects" dedicated to the 16th anniversary of armistice
establishment in Azerbaijani- Karabakh conflict zone.

"Quite many stereotypes appeared over 16 years, for example, on a
possibility of compromises, although 16 years have shown the contrary.

However, many still claim that it is possible and there is no
other way, and if we say that it is not so, we should say it very
convincingly. Otherwise, they give us a "compromise" version like
Madrid principles and claim that it has no alternative, that anyone
who does not agree with it, is not constructive, not conscious and
supports war, etc. After the events of 2008, when the Western world
recognized Kosovo’s independence, and Russia and several countries
recognized Abkhazia and South Ossetia, I came to the conclusion that
the whole world started doubting of a possibility to solve any issues
based on compromises", the expert said.

According to him, the Karabakh party should more clearly express its
stances. "All of us understand that what is proposed by mediators is
currently unacceptable for us. These "Madrid principles" are discussed
without us, we say they are unacceptable, however, we have no impact on
this process. To this day, it seemed to us that we express our stance,
however, if there is no result, it means that we do it in a wrong way",
M. Sarkisyan said.

Speaking about the world community’s responsibility in the situation
in the South Caucasus region, the expert said the world centers
ignored the new reality created after the USSR collapse and, guide
just by political approaches, we selectively recognized ones and
ignored others.

"The results of such recognition are much discussed today. 16 years
later, the western community realizes for the first time which problems
of universal importance it created for itself. It understood that
trampling upon the international law for the political conjuncture,
it stroke a blow not only at the international law, but also created
a threat to the whole world", the expert said. According to him,
presently the NKR has all the grounds to address the world community
saying the independence of Azerbaijan is illegal in accordance with
the laws it accepted, and this country was recognized illegally. "The
world community is responsible for illegal recognition and for other
numerous illegalities".

HRANUSH HAKOBYAN: HAYASTAN FUND SHOULD ESTABLISH MORE BRANCHES WORLDWIDE

PanARMENIAN.Net
May 14, 2010 – 13:28 AMT 08:28 GMT

Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan kicked off the 18th meeting of the
Board of Trustees of Hayastan All Armenian Fund on May 14.

The event began with election of Tiruhi Burdarian as Board member.

"Mrs. Burdarian’s husband, Varuzhan, a Brazilian benefactor, made a
significant contribution to implementation of the Fund’s projects and
I am happy that his wife and children decided to join the activity,"
President Sargsyan said.

Afterwards, the attendees watches a film about the Fund’s activity
and the projects carried out in Armenia and Artsakh.

"We submitted a report which was unanimously approved," the Fund’s
Executive Director Ara Vardanyan told journalists after the meeting.

"The funds raised in 2010 will be spent on reconstruction of water
supply systems in NKR and development of frontier villages of Armenia,"
he said.

"Our Fund marks its 18th anniversary. I am glad that the money
raised was spent on reconstruction of Shushi," Armenian Diaspora
Minister Hranush Hakobyan said, adding that more branches should be
established worldwide.

THE ARMENIAN LANGUAGE IS NOT SUBJECT TO SACRIFICE

[ 2010/05/14 | 11:57 ]

Feature Stories society politics

Go to Yerablour (the national cemetery and memorial in Armenia to
those fallen in war). The most noble among us are buried there.

Perhaps many of them had less knowledge than us, perhaps they would
stumble in speaking Russian and did not know English at all. But they
were Armenian. They were Armenian, because they thought in Armenian.

Language is first of all a mode of thought, and only subsequently
speech. Pick a hundred names at random off the gravestones at
Yerablour and then check to see how many had an Armenian education,
and how many in another language. The numbers will not deceive.

I am ashamed at having to write such rudimentary things. Read the
works by Ludwig Wittgenstein on the philosophy of language and
everything will become clear. Isn’t it already understandable,
without reading Wittgenstein, that the Armenian Õ°Õ¡O~A (hats) and
the Russian Ñ…Ð"еб (khleb) have the same meaning ("bread"), but
they comprehend essentially different things? Isn’t it clear that the
Armenian child who grew up on Pushkin’s fables and the one who was
reared on Toumanyan’s tales are different Armenians? The claim that
a good quality education can only be acquired in a foreign language
is false.

The one who is willing to learn does learn, and the lazy one seeks
excuses to justify his ignorance. If knowledge is not a concern for,
say, the national assembly, why ought the student to learn anything?

In truth, I am amazed that they yet learn so much. If there were
the guarantee of a just competitiveness for knowledge in the market,
then each Armenian would know at least three foreign languages.

It is not necessary to cover up the shortcomings of the educational
system and the frailty of its leadership in the Armenian World
(the copyright of this expression belongs to the prime minister) by
relegating the status of the Armenian language to mere household use.

It is always easier, of course, to veil one’s ignorance with foreign
words or complex terminology. I bear an Armenian education, but I
started working by translating from one foreign language to another
foreign language. That was what that period of my life demanded.

Armenia is first of all Armenian. Without the Armenian language, there
would be no Armenia. There is no need to deny one’s own Homeland, but
simply to improve the teaching of foreign languages in all schools. I
understand that this is a more challenging task than sacrificing the
Armenian language itself.

Ara Papian Citizen of the Republic of Armenia 13 May, 2010

MOST IMPORTANT BUT NOT VALUED VICTORY

168 Zham
May 8 2010
Armenia

Tomorrow [9 May] marks the 18th anniversary of liberation [of Karabakh
town of ] Susa in Armenia and Artsakh [Karabakh] apart from the 65th
anniversary of the victory in the World War II. Probably, this is
the most important victory in the newest history of Armenia and the
Armenian people.

However, as in past years, the liberation of Susa is marked simply
"for the sake of a procedure". Officials, various political figures
as always will make exaggerated addresses and will lay wreaths at
monuments to the victims, and TV companies will air some programmes
on the victory day and that’s it. That is to say, the victory day
has not become a pan-national holiday yet.

This is mainly for the reason that the victory gained in the Karabakh
war was continuously inhibited by the authorities in the past years,
as a result, state-organized anti-propaganda against heroes who
participated in Susa’s liberation after [former Armenian President ]
Robert Kocharyan came to power in 1998.

The imprisonment of many of the Karabakh war veterans in the past two
years made the attitude of the authorities towards the victory more
expressive. Regardless of anything and the authorities, the victory
is everyone’s and the public should take pride in and live with this
victory in a way so that any authority or a political figure does
not use it only for political reasons. A happy Victory Day.

AZERBAIJANI MP ON POSSIBLE IMPACT OF TURKEY-RUSSIA TALKS ON NAGORNO-KARABAKH CONFLICT RESOLUTION

Today
s/67829.html
May 13 2010
Azerbaijan

"I think nothing will change in the Nagorno-Karabakh talks now,"
Azerbaijani Member of Parliament Aynur Jamalgizi said.

She was commenting on the recent statements made by Turkish Premier
Erdogan and Russian President Medvedev at a briefing in Ankara.

"Though Russia has assumed mediation mission in the Minsk Group,
we can say with certainty that the Karabakh problem remains solved
exactly for lack of Moscow’s consent," the MP said.

The MP believes Armenia is not a sovereign state. Yerevan is not
able to decide any of the foreign policy issues and insist on its
own position on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict.

"The situation in Armenia is totally dependent on Russia from both
economic and political point of view. Armenia is an outpost of
Russia. Therefore, we should not expect Armenia to change its policy
regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict," the MP added.

She noted that in various meetings and events the states involved
in this process have repeatedly stated that new possibilities have
emerged for compromise.

"Armenia has disrupted these processes many times. The outcome of the
talks are still half-hearted. I do not believe in a slightest change
in Moscow’s position."

As for Turkey, Jamalgizi says that it has always reckoned with its
neighbors, and without Turkey is impossible to realize any global
projects in our region.

"If Russia wants to reckon with Turkey, to build a strong relationship
with it, it probably would seek to further develop ties with Azerbaijan
because Turkey is our closest partner and it was always stood by
Azerbaijan. Therefore, closer ties between Turkey and Russia will
benefit Azerbaijan."

"Against such a background, there may be some far-reaching assumption
that this can contribute to a fair resolution of our conflict. However,
I do not believe that this can happen any time soon. After all, from
the very beginning the best cards in the "Karabakh game" were in the
hands of Russia. It Russia deemed it necessary, it would have cleaned
our lands from separatists long ago," the MP underscored.

Since it has not happened yet, it is hard to believe that this will
happen some time in future, the MP said.

PRESS RELEASE
Catholicosate of Cilicia
Communication and Information Department
Contact: V.Rev.Fr.Krikor Chiftjian, Communications Director
Tel: (04) 410001, 410003
Fax: (04) 419724
E- mail: [email protected]
Web:

PO Box 70 317
Antelias-Lebanon

Watch our latest videos on YouTube here:

THE CATHOLICOSATE OF CILICIA PARTICIPATES IN THE SITTING OF
HAYASTAN – ALL ARMENIA FUND BOARD OF TRUSTEES

On May 14, His Excellency Serj Sarkissian, President of the Republic of
Armenia, will preside over the sitting of Hayastan – All Armenia Fund Board
of Trustees. During the five days preceding the meeting, the members will
be visiting Artsakh (Nagorno Gharapagh) and the relevant regions of the
Republic of Armenia to view projects sponsored by the Fund.

Both Catholicoi, His Holiness Karekin II of All Armenians and His Holiness
Aram I Catholicos of Cilicia are permanent members of the Board.

His Grace Bishop Shahan Sarkisian, Primate of Aleppo, will represent His
Holiness Aram I.

Benefactors from the Dioceses of the Catholicosate of Cilicia have
contributed to projects via the Hayastan – All Armenia Fund. The Holy See
of Cilicia continues to support all projects within the Republic of Armenia
and Artsakh, which the Catholicosate considers to be an integral part in
bolstering both States.

##
The Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia is one of the two Catholicosates of
the Armenian Orthodox Church. For detailed information about the history and
the mission of the Cilician Catholicosate, you may refer to the web page of
the Catholicosate, The Cilician
Catholicosate, the administrative center of the church is located in
Antelias, Lebanon.

HERITAGE DOES NOT AVOID ‘BAD’ MEETINGS: LARISA ALAVERDYAN

Tert.am
14:08 12.05.10

By a May 11 decision Heritage Party will meet the Chairman of
the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Mevlut
Chavushoglu during his up-coming visit to Armenia.

"Generally, Heritage does not avoid good or bad meetings because you
do not chose your interlocutors in politics," Secretary of Heritage’s
parliamentary faction Larisa Alaverdyan said at a press conference
today.

At the same time she mentioned that ‘politics is not composed only
of good meetings,’ and that they are going to meet Chavushoglu and
let him know about their viewpoints.

Earlier the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (Dashnaktsutiun, ARF-D)
had declined meeting Chavushoglu who is a Turkish nation, pointing
to the fact that he said he would not during his stay in Armenia
visit Tsitsernakaberd – the hill-top memorial of the victims of the
Armenian Genocide orchestrated by the Ottoman Turks in 1915.