The Documentalist - Harutyun Khachatrian

[MosJan]

DOCUMENTARY BY HARUTYUN KHACHATRIAN AWARDED JURY PRIZE

 

Film director Harutyun Khachatrian is a known name in Armenian and world film industry. He shot 6 documentaries and 4 feature films, which attracted audience by their unique film language and content. Virtually all his documentaries were awarded different prizes in many international film festivals.

 

He finished shooting his latest documentary, which he called The Documentalist in 2003 January. It was among the best films awarded by a Russian Nika festival and was awarded recently a special prize of jury at an international festival in Karlovy Vary, the Czech Republic.

 

The main character of this film is a documentalist who shots scenes which at first seem to have nothing in common but when arranged in a special order they come to display the real picture of Armenia throughout the 90-s.

 

Back from Karlovy Vary Khachatrian said to a Thursday news conference that the jury’s prize came unexpected. “I thought this gloomy film shot on a bad quality film would not be liked by the jury and the audience, but I felt great when Czechs approached me after its demonstration to say that it also reflects their lives. That was the biggest appraisal for me,” he said. He also said he has received invitations to take his films to film festivals in Canada, USA, Israel and Korea. This documentary will be shown on Armenian Public TV in September.

 

By R.P.

[TimeForChange]

I've seen the documentary about Armenia in the 90s at the Montreal International Film Festival, and I'm sorry to say that for the first time in my life, I was ashamed of being armenian for a few minutes. Any non-armenian who watches this piece of @#$ will think that we are savage dog-killers, beggars, refugees, "abusers of prisoners'', and the list goes on...

 

I expected to see images of Armenia, NOT images of a few low-class individuals who, for all I know, could very well be Russians, for God's sake, or from any other country. There was barely any Armenian spoken, I could have watched the same kind of images from any country.

 

Speaking of which, what's the deal of writing in RUSSIAN? Are we Russian or Armenian? If we continue putting Russian words in our vocabulary, 50 or 100 years from now, Armenia will be part of Russia. I have nothing against Russians, but don't you find it dangerous that they have so much influence on Armenia? Why encourage such a "dominance" by writing in Russian in an Armenian documentary?

 

And, of course, there were many Armenians who were at the movie theater that day, watching the same crappy documentary, but I didn't hear a single negative commentary about the documentary. "There weren't enough Armenian words" was basically the most negative thing I heard. Which, by the way, is true. Oh, and the little Armenian I heard was 1/3 Russian. I had a lot of trouble understanding the few sentences that were murmured. And who were the people in the prisons anyway? Azeris? People form the street?

 

And, why was the little landscape that was shown so ugly? Are there no trees in Armenia? Just rocky plains? Is this what you want non-Armenians and Armenians who have never been there to think of Armenia? These images certainly won't boost the Armenian tourism industry.

[MJ]

Dear TFC,

 

I have not seen the film. However I am somewhat familiar with the situation.

 

I am sorry for your feelings. There is no need to be ashamed of the picture you have seen. Unfortunately, it might have accurately portrayed the situation in prisons. It is most outrageous and devastating. Prisons in Armenia are manifestations of enormous human tragedy. The same concerns to mental institutions. Some of my friends have traveled lately in both types of institutions and have taken some photos. I have seen them. It is indeed very disturbing. And I am sure the people you have seen in prisons were Armenians. The prisons run on a principle, “if you can’t break them psychologically, break them physically.” Unfortunately, to a large degree this concerns also the Army. Many you have seen in the prisons are innocent people or have committed minor offenses.

 

As far as the spoken Armenian language is concerned, it is also in a bad shape in Armenia these days. In the last 10 years we have developed backwards at a very disturbing pace.

 

Another disturbing reality is the excessive Russification in the last several years. It has become a state policy. Armenia is under informational blockade other than the transportation blockade. The entire flow of information is arriving from Russia and that in a very biased and politicized manner. Armenia is less independent now than it has been in the last 20 years or so. All this has also resulted in a very sad mental blockade. Vast segments of people, being dependent only on one source of information, have become paranoid.

 

The questionable deal with ArmenTel has resulted in the paralysis of the internet in Armenia. Among the Caucasian Republics, Armenia is the most underdeveloped country in terms of Internet access due to the technical quality and the price of service. This in turn has resulted in the stagnation of the IT industry, which 10 years ago was the most promising industry there and Armenia was the leader of IT Technologies in former USSR and the region.

 

One thing I agree with you is that it is indeed time for change. But the changes start not from feeling ashamed for the reality but from feeling part of it and becoming part of the solution.

 

The “nasty” picture you have seen is our reality. If one cannot take it, one should cheat himself/herself or just denounce his affiliation with the reality that the nation is facing. This is a free choice.

[Accelerated]

In Armenia, unlawful detainment is just another means for the (underpaid) police/justice system to extract money from the population.