Category: News

An international television series based on Homer’s epic The Odyssey is set to film on location in Greece and Armenia.

As reported by Deadline, the project is being produced by Athens-based Tanweer Productions, newly launched U.S. production company Tectonic, and U.S.-Armenian production company USATV. The series is led by Stranger Things season one executive producer Karl Gajdusek, who serves as showrunner.

The creators describe the project as a new, more grounded interpretation of Homer’s epic. According to them, the series will portray the real world of the Bronze Age, marked by war, seafaring, betrayal and the struggle for survival, while also exploring the historical forces that led to the collapse of the Bronze Age.

The project has been in development for several years, with filming scheduled to begin early next year.

The series will be directed by Roel Reiné, whose previous credits include Washington, Black Sails, Halo and Wu Assassins.

Executive producers include Vaagn Sarkissian of USATV, Jordan Dykstra, Denisa Juhos, Karl Gajdusek, Sean Finegan, Scott Windhauser, Noah Lang, Blake Hoss, Roel Reiné and Dionyssis Samiotis of Tanweer Productions.

“We want to tell this epic story in the most grounded and historically authentic way possible,” Gajdusek said. “In Homer’s work, Odysseus’ journey carries symbolic meaning, but beneath it are real human destinies, choices, losses and triumphs.”

Dykstra said the team has been developing the project for nearly five years. He added that their goal is to present audiences with the most authentic and compelling portrayal possible of the ancient Hellenic world.

This week, Armenpress presents the latest edition of its Yerevan Bestseller project, featuring the top 10 bestselling translated fiction titles based on book sales in June.

Joanne Harris’ Chocolat tops the list. The novel tells the story of the quiet French village of Lansquenet, where little has changed for years until the arrival of the mysterious Vianne Rocher and her daughter on the eve of Lent. As Vianne opens a chocolate shop, the novel explores whether she can preserve it in a tightly knit community bound by strict religious traditions.

Second is Nora Ikstena’s Soviet Milk, a novel that follows three generations of women from the same family. Through an accessible narrative, the author portrays the social environment of Soviet Latvia during her childhood and youth, depicting the moral vacuum that gradually crushed people from within. At the center of the story is a talented gynecologist who understands others deeply and helps many through her profession, yet finds herself unable to cope with her own life. The novel’s title refers to a mother’s deliberate decision to deprive her daughter of breast milk in an attempt to spare her from inheriting her pain and despair.

Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code ranks third. In the novel, symbologist Robert Langdon investigates the mysterious murder of one of the Louvre’s curators. As the story unfolds, readers are taken back in time through episodes from the life of Christ and Dan Brown’s interpretation of Leonardo da Vinci’s works.

Fourth is Haruki Murakami’s South of the Border, West of the Sun. Hajime appears to have an ideal life: he is a successful businessman with a loving wife and children. Everything changes when Shimamoto, his first love from adolescence, unexpectedly reappears, blurring the line between reality and illusion. Published in 1992, the novel explores love, passion, life-changing decisions, lost opportunities and mystery.

Fifth is Tracy Chevalier’s Girl with a Pearl Earring. More than the story behind a famous portrait, the novel recounts the relationship between painter Johannes Vermeer and his muse in seventeenth-century Delft. Chevalier’s meticulous historical research vividly recreates the atmosphere of the Dutch Golden Age.

Sixth is Mark Aren’s The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. The novel offers the Armenian author’s own take on the legendary detective and his loyal companion Dr. Watson. Blending intrigue, seemingly unrelated facts and unexpected solutions with parallels between past, present and future, Armorica and Armenia, and British and Armenian history, the book presents a fresh interpretation of the classic detective universe.

Seventh is Gregory David Roberts’ Shantaram, the internationally acclaimed novel that follows a fugitive seeking redemption in the streets of Bombay while exploring themes of love, destiny, friendship and personal transformation.

Eighth is Franck Thilliez’s Puzzle. The psychological thriller follows Ilan and Chloé, participants in the mysterious game “Paranoia,” where the winner is promised €300,000. The game leads them to an abandoned psychiatric hospital in the French Alps, where eight people were murdered a year earlier. Once again, eight players enter the game—but not all of them are expected to survive.

Ninth is Elif Shafak’s The Bastard of Istanbul. The novel explores numerous internal contradictions of Turkish society, with the Armenian Genocide occupying a central place as an unresolved historical and psychological issue. Following its publication, Shafak faced prosecution in Turkey under Article 301 for “insulting Turkishness.” The book was effectively unavailable during the trial and became freely available only after the author was acquitted.

Rounding out the top ten is Jo Nesbø’s The Snowman. Set in and around Oslo, the novel follows detective Harry Hole as he investigates the disappearance of several women. Convinced that the cases are connected, Hole searches for a pattern while confronting a chilling mystery: a snowman is found at every crime scene. Widely regarded as one of the defining works of Scandinavian crime fiction, the novel has been translated into dozens of languages and adapted into a feature film in 2017.

Georgia’s close ties with its three neighboring countries-Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye-play an important role in strengthening the country’s connectivity and expanding its transit function, Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said.

Speaking on the Imedi LIVE program, Kobakhidze said Georgia is implementing major infrastructure projects aimed at improving connectivity.

“Under our plan, by 2031 virtually all express highways will be completed, with the exception of one specific section. In addition, railway modernization and capacity expansion are progressing actively. We are building the Anaklia port, where work is also advancing at a rapid pace. Airport infrastructure is developing as well, including all three international airports operating in our country,” Kobakhidze said.

According to the Georgian prime minister, the large-scale infrastructure investments will further strengthen the country’s role as a regional transit hub.

“These are major investments in infrastructure, and all of this will contribute to the further development of our country’s transit function. At the same time, we are deepening our relations with the relevant countries in our region and with our neighbors. We enjoy excellent relations with our three neighboring countries-Armenia, Azerbaijan and Türkiye-and all of this plays a key role in terms of connectivity and transit,” Kobakhidze said.

The Armenian State Symphony Orchestra will conclude its 20th anniversary concert season with a free open-air gala concert at the Cafesjian Sculpture Garden at the Cascade Complex in Yerevan on July 21 at 8:00 p.m.

The audience will have the opportunity to enjoy masterpieces of classical music alongside some of the orchestra’s most popular symphonic performances. The concert will be conducted by the orchestra’s Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Sergey Smbatyan.

The program features a rich variety of musical genres, including works by Dmitri Shostakovich, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Maurice Ravel, Aram Khachaturian, Tigran Mansurian and Charles Aznavour.

The evening will also feature symphonic arrangements of well-known contemporary works, including System of a Down’s Aerials, Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir, and Michael Jackson’s Earth Song and Billie Jean. Traditional Armenian dance melodies Kochari and Yarkhushta will also be performed in arrangements by Serouj Baghdassarian (C-Rouge), orchestrated by Martin Ulikhanyan.

According to the Armenian State Symphony Orchestra, the season finale promises to be a festive musical celebration for both Yerevan residents and visitors to the capital.

Admission is free.

President of Armenia Vahagn Khachaturyan visited the French Embassy in Yerevan on the occasion of Bastille Day, France’s national holiday.

According to the Armenian President’s Office, Khachaturyan congratulated French Ambassador Olivier Decottignies and, through him, extended his best wishes to President Emmanuel Macron and the people of France, wishing them peace, prosperity and continued success.

Highlighting the special relationship between Armenia and France, the president emphasized the importance of high-level visits, recalling President Macron’s successful state visit to Armenia in May, which gave fresh momentum to the bilateral agenda.

The two sides also discussed French-funded projects in Armenia’s Syunik Province, implemented at both the national and local levels, and underscored the importance of expanding cooperation in the defense industry, high technologies and artificial intelligence.

President Khachaturyan also referred to the progress in the Armenia-European Union strategic partnership, highlighting France’s role in advancing that agenda.

At the end of the meeting, Ambassador Decottignies thanked the president for his visit, his warm wishes and his continued support for strengthening bilateral relations.

The historical biographical drama De Gaulle, l’éclat et le secret, directed by Antonin Baudry and starring acclaimed French-Armenian actor Simon Abkarian, was screened in Yerevan on July 16 as part of the Golden Apricot International Film Festival.

The film, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, recounts the events of June 1940, when, following France’s capitulation, the little-known General Charles de Gaulle traveled to London to launch the Free France movement and continue the fight against Nazi occupation.

Abkarian portrays de Gaulle with what critics have described as remarkable depth, bringing the historic figure to life through a nuanced performance marked by respect and conviction.

The second part of the two-film project, De Gaulle: Liberation, will be screened in Yerevan on July 18.

Both Abkarian and Baudry attended the Yerevan premiere.

Baudry noted that Armenia is the first country after France where the films are being screened.

He described De Gaulle, l’éclat et le secret and De Gaulle: Liberation as works that combine tragedy and comedy, while emphasizing that tragedy ultimately prevails.

“The film is really about what people feel when they face the possibility of losing their country. At that time, both the French and the British were living through uncertainty. Yet it is precisely in such moments that a hero believes in his dream and resistance is born,” Baudry said.

“I am delighted to present this film in Armenia because Armenians certainly know what resistance means. The second reason for showing it here is Simon.”

The director also recalled a well-known anecdote according to which U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt once decided that a film should be made about Charles de Gaulle and asked a young William Faulkner to write the screenplay. Although Faulkner produced several scripts, the story goes that de Gaulle himself was ultimately removed because no suitable actor could be found to portray him.

“When I began this project, I knew finding the right actor to play Charles de Gaulle would be one of its greatest challenges,” Baudry said. “Simon Abkarian was the perfect choice and succeeded in embodying an entire nation.”

Preparing for the role, Abkarian spent nearly three weeks studying archival materials, watching de Gaulle’s interviews and films about his life before setting the research aside in order to create his own artistic interpretation of the character.

“You can simply imitate such figures-their voice and gestures-but that has never interested me,” Abkarian said during an earlier meeting with audiences. “I wanted to make the role my own, to give it a body and a voice through imagination.”

During the Yerevan premiere, Armenian Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan awarded Abkarian the ministry’s Gold Medal for his outstanding contribution to world theatre and cinema, his role in promoting Armenian culture internationally, and his long-standing efforts to strengthen Armenian-French cultural ties.

Abkarian also received the Golden Apricot International Film Festival’s honorary Master Award.

The actor began his career in the early 1980s in the United States before joining Ariane Mnouchkine’s Théâtre du Soleil. Since the 1990s, he has appeared extensively in French and international cinema, collaborating with directors including Cédric Klapisch, Atom Egoyan, Robert Guédiguian, Sally Potter and Fatih Akın.

His screen credits include portrayals of Arshile Gorky, Missak Manouchian and now Charles de Gaulle. International audiences also know him for his roles in Aram and the James Bond film Casino Royale.

In theatre, Abkarian has received several Molière Awards, including honors for Best Actor, Best Director, and Best French-language Playwright.