Armenia/France/Turkey/USA – 93 min – directed by Artak Igityan and Vahan Stepanyan – Armenian, English and French with English subtitles where necessary – North American Premiere – 2011 Gala film
One of the most wonderful “Armenian” stories told on the big screen in recent years. Beautifully shot over three continents, the chief protagonist is 80 year-old Garapet who continues to be haunted by his mother’s memories of the Genocide. To deal with his pain, he burns the Turkish flag each year on April 24th in front of the Turkish consulate in Los Angeles, annoying his son Dikran, who must annually post bail for his aging father. Garapet becomes embittered by his grandson’s relationship with a girl of Turkish background and his son’s indifference for what Garapet believes is a family catastrophe. This is a dynamic film, well executed, about three generations grappling with the complex layers of their Armenian identity in North American life. Co-director Vahan Stepanyan will be attending from Yerevan in order to be present for this special screening and conduct a question and answer session with audience members following the film.
