Tehran begins Armenia Film Week

Tehran Artists’ House has started Armenia Film Week during a ceremony attended by a number of Iranian and Armenian filmmakers and artists.

Armenian ambassador in Tehran Artashes Tomanian, Head of Central Association of Cinematic Critics and Writers Keyvan Kasirian as well as a number of Iranian and Armenian officials, figures, and artists took part at the ceremony on Sunday evening.

Speaking at the ceremony, Kasirian said this is the first time Iran and Armenia come together to hold educational workshops and screen films in order to introduce Armenian cinema.

Tomanian noted that considering the cultural commonalities between the two countries, Iran and Armenia should get the ground ready for a better understanding of each other.

The Armenia Film Week is set to be continued in Iranian cities of Shiraz and Mashhad.

Iran’s Art and Experience Cinema has organized the film week in collaboration with the Embassy of Armenia in Tehran.

The cinema of Armenia was born on April 16, 1923, when the Armenian State Committee on Cinema was established by a government decree.

The first Armenian film with Armenian subject titled ‘Haykakan Sinema’ was produced in 1912 in Cairo by Armenian-Egyptian publisher Vahan Zartarian.

In March 1924, the first Armenian film studio was established in Yerevan, starting with ‘Soviet Armenia’ which has been one of the first Armenian documentaries.

Hamo Beknazarian directed the first Armenian silent black-and-white film ‘Namus’ in 1925 and Hamo Beknazarian directed the first Armenian sounded film ‘Pepo’ in 1935.

According to a recent (non-confirmed) report, the modern Armenian cinema annually produces two or three features, about eight short films and some 15 documentaries.

MG/MG