Discoveries from Armenia World Cinema

This movie tells the story of the centuries of cross-stones and how firmly they stand on the face of the earth, but at the same time, people forget about them.

Hamo, an old farmer lives with his wife in a remote village in the mountains of Armenia. The money their son send them from Russia just allows them to survive. But Hamo nourishes a dream of acquiring a Moskvitch, the most beautiful car in the world, the one that had promised the Soviet power and that he never had.

Armenia's most beloved weightlifter becomes the country's biggest shame when he comes out as transgender. It cost Mel his fame, his fortune, his family, and even his homeland. Today, under asylum in the Netherlands, his dream of gender transition is finally within reach - but how much must he sacrifice for it?

Village man Hambo, trying to set up his son Gikor, gives him in service of well-to-do merchant Bazaz Artem. Gikor couldn't find neither cordiality, nor kindness in merchant's house and misses his home. Some envy small bailiff but nobody see his sufferings.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the "Golden World" shopping center, the best jewelers have created a unique piece of jewelry that any woman can dream of.

During a general cleaning weekend in his village house an old cemetery groundskeeper discovers that he is just as much of a burden for his family, as his old mementos they are throwing away in the trash.

Azat, an Armenian immigrant selling counterfeit designer bags on the streets of Los Angeles, strikes a bond with a woman from his night school only to face the pitfalls of the American Dream.

Herostratus aspired to leave his mark in history and die as a known man. To achieve his goal, Herostratus set the Temple of Artemis ablaze in 356 BC.

Hansel's grandfather's wife died. They have lived together for over fifty years. For three years he has been living alone, cannot find a place for himself and constantly misses her.

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the control of Karabakh rumbles on stealthily. From Lake Sevan to the gold mine of Sotk—occupied by Azerbaijan since the 44-Day War of 2020—Daniel Kötter travels through a border valley surrounded by mountains, encountering the people who anxiously watch on as those in power tear each other apart at their expense.

Three Armenias are sketched out here, brilliantly and with delicacy, through four protagonists aspiring to fulfil their dream. There is the lift operator in a hospital who wants to travel into space, the farmer in search of a perfect wife, and the young queer couple who simply want to live out their love story… while awaiting the demonstrations and hopes of the revolution.

In the Bible, Urartu was the most ancient state on Earth. It was there where Noah’s ark stopped, and there where humanity found its salvation. The locals had a developed culture, economy, astronomy, and religious life. According to scientists’ latest discoveries, the culture of Urartu was the most advanced in the ancient world. And it had a great impact on the Persian Empire of the Achaemenids and ancient Greece. Due to a lack of research, Urartu is probably one of the most mysterious states in history. This documentary will introduce us to its unique background.

The story of her grandmother’s old suitcase moves Hazal to understand her kurdish families past and carry on the legacy.

The main character - an actor and film-director - tries to live, ignoring the everyday petty struggles for survival.

Armenian Arsen and Azerbaijani Fati have an accident on a mountainous section of the road. The long wait for the inspectors forces the heroes to attempt a peaceful dialogue. Arsen and Fati get to know each other better, share the circumstances of their destinies, which turn out to be tragically intertwined with each other.

An unemployed journalist keeps blaming everyone but himself for problems in his love life and bad policies of the country only to find out what he can change when he becomes the President.

Between the late 80s and early 90s, Armenia experienced a deadly earthquake, the Nagorno-Karabakh war and the fall of the Soviet Union. During these years, many Armenians decided to exile. Hayk is one of them, a theater director who has moved to Moscow.

Man arrives in America to see his son.

An adult cartoon about an elderly man who travels by train to the "End of the Earth".

The film tells about the Velvet Revolution that took place in May 2018, the Armenian-Azerbaijani military clashes that took place in July 2020, and the war that took place in September.

Mark, an unpublished poet, eccentric and emotional, and Ani, a balanced office manager, decide to part ways after living together for two years.

A businessman's partner is trying to take over his businesses. To solve the problem, he gathers criminal experts from all over the world in one place.

4 friends are going out of town. One of them decides to film their entire trip, which will become one of the craziest and happiest days of the boys' lives.

A STORY OF A FAMILY, THE HISTORY OF A NATION ”A little piece of land? A whole country? A little group of people or a whole nation? What are they waiting for? Is their queue endless?” Do not expect to get all the answers. A tale of a man and a woman suffering the circumstances of a total energy crisis. Their recollections, short narratives, imagination act as aids in understanding of the story, and in understanding that core human values are shared throughout the world.

Can a government aligned with a pro-Turkish vector force the abandonment of Ararat, a symbol of the Armenian people? Could their efforts succeed over time in leading to the forgetfulness of national values such as the Armenian language, Christianity, the historical homeland, and the Genocide? These questions are raised in the documentary The Promised Mountain, dedicated to the 110th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide.

The film tells the story of young musician Hakob Tutunjyan, who discovers what freedom truly means to him.

Someone gives a hatchet to people of freezing country, but their lack of skill and misunderstanding how to use it lead to endless deaths and disasters

A disillusioned veteran finds himself at a war photo exhibition, where everybody else sees art, while he relives his past.

Yeva is a young woman who escapes her influential in-laws with her daughter Nareh, after her husband’s tragic death and takes refuge in one of the villages of Karabakh, Armenia… Yeva is a complete stranger in this village and is obliged to live her daily life in disguise.

A lyrical journey through Armenia, following the creation and transport of a statue. The simple telling from basic materials of the making of the clay used in the statue, and of the simple but poignant a cappella poetry that is sung as the only commentary, the film is a testament not only to Armenia‘s national poet, Ashugh Jivani, but to the integrity of art, its roots far away from the superficiality of the world, and of the power and truth it can convey.

95 years old athlete Wami Biratu runs his last marathon in Addis Ababa, while evoking the legendary Olympic champion Abebe Bikila, his best friend and rival.

"[Last Station / Verjin kayan] is inspired by the play 'Sojourn at Ararat', written and directed by Gerald Papasian and Nora Armani who also perform in the film. The play was premièred in 1986 in Edinburgh and went on to make a world tour. The film tells the story of three people on tour with a play against the background of a time in which new nations emerge and old rulers make desperate efforts to cling on to power. The scenes in the play are comments on the life of three actors, the Man, the Woman - an Armenian couple - and the Stage Manager, a dissident Russian who was once a famous Shakespearian actor. The picture of the three becomes increasingly clear as the journey passes more and more locations and they meet more and more people." - IFFR

Showing Sergei Parajanov at the end of his life, the film depicts the suffering of a genius against the backdrop of general anxiety and carelessness.

Based on the 1890 novel by Raffi, about Murad, an apprentice of a blacksmith who fell under the influence of the pseudo-priest of the Armenian Church Petros and became, like him, a cross-stealer.

A short film in pixilation technique by the group Invisible Friends. The film plays with the well-known "5-second rule" — a folk belief that food picked up from the floor within five seconds remains safe to eat.

In the city of Nowhere, shadows dream of a life without their human masters.

The last thing Armenian citizens in 2022 expected was that their new neighbors would be thousands of Russians who fled Russia out of conscience or fear of ending up in Ukrainian black soil. Russian propaganda declares them traitors and calls on "those who remained" to unite in hatred against "those who left for warm countries". But are these countries warm? And can’t the "left" themselves cope with their own hatred without help from others?

This movie is a story of two brothers who couldn't be anywhere else besides on the front lines during the 44-day Artsakh war fighting for their homeland.

A homeless man, starving and losing touch with reality, encounters a woman and spirals into violence and delusion.

The story follows the lives in a small village of a picturesque Armenian gorge where secrets, tragedies and love are intricately weaved to form a beautiful impressionist painting of life. And as often in life, the drama is tainted with humor and compassion. This life in rural parts is hard and the villagers survive by trading at the market, cultivating the land when possible and relying on each other. Zulali, a young mentally ill woman, Nazaros, 10 year old boy, too smart for his age, and Aqir, an elderly woman who was cast away from her own family for being barren, form an unlikely family. As each one of them narrates their perception in turn, the deeply hidden secrets and terrible tragedies that tie them together are gradually revealed to unveil the complex mosaic of their fate.

In 301 A.D. Gregory the Illuminator healed the one-time Pagan King Tiridates the Great and christened the Armenian people, thus making Armenia the first Christian nation in the world. This is the story about a woman who changed the faith of her nation forever.

A homeless boy in a small village in Ethiopia suffers due to global warming and shortsightedness.

Armenian boxing champion David preparing for the next competition. Beloved girl Eva, loyal friends, a happy life in abundance and the only one who causes problems is a friend Armen, constantly spending money in casinos. Having rescued Armen after another scandal, David gave him an ultimatum: either he stops gambling, or David breaks up friendly relations with him.

This documentary, which features Sergei Parajanov’s heartbreaking letters from prison, explores creativity among inmates and the art born in conditions designed to destroy all traces of selfhood.

Various animals sing Beethoven’s "Ode To Joy" from his Symphony No. 9, in a paean to the Earth’s biodiversity.

Vilen Apresyan, the deputy head of the Armenian central bank, will be fired if a representative of an international credit organization, who is about to arrive in two days' time, doesn't sign an agreement to provide a 50 million euro loan. The situation looks hopeless, and Vilen can only be saved by a miracle...

At 2 a.m., Garegin Sisakian comes to Michael's house and informs him that he is engaged to a girl named Sarah, whose father was a friend of his father's. Michael learns that he will be the godbrother of the newlyweds. On Saturday evening, Garegin takes Michael to Sarah's house to meet his fiance. Sarah quarreled with her mother, and Garegin's inappropriate questions offend Sarah, and she screams and leaves. After Sarah leaves, Garegin starts talking to Bagiryan, Sarah's father. About a month passes, but Michael does not meet with Garegin. But one evening Garegin appears and informs Michael, That he was going to marry Sarah. After his marriage, Garegin leaves his post and leaves the city with his wife.

The film depicts the young girl as a symbol and an inspiration for women and girls and that they, too, can be destined for greatness.

Tigran is a shy boy who is not successful with women because of his character. One day he is confused with some millionaire, and his life changes completely.

The future holds all the answers. Are you ready to travel through time?

There is a dark secret in the Khosrov Forest that dates back centuries. Iago has long since found the chest containing the heart of king Khosrov Kotak, hidden in the rocks as the source of the forest’s life force. However, it remains closed to him, as it can only be opened with the blood of a royal heir. From that moment on, Iago and Marusik are doomed to wait, searching for the only one through whom they will be able to open the chest and finally seize the power and authority of the forest.

With EMBERS, Tamara Stepanyan’s first feature-length documentary, the director seeks to honour the memory of her late grandmother, whom she was named after. Stepanyan visits the elder Tamara’s hometown in Armenia, where she spends time with her grandmother’s circle of friends, who discuss their memories of daily life with Tamara, bringing to light their ideological and political viewpoints in the process. As the conversations progress, a dialogue emerges between past and present – between the Tamara of today and the Tamara of two generations ago, whose life was shaped by her experiences during World War II. Despite the absence of the film’s central subject, her presence is deeply felt through her impact on those who survived her. Stepanyan’s mourning the loss of someone close to her heart is acutely apparent; here, she faces down that sorrow with a bright tribute to a wonderful woman.

An enthralling and thorough documentation of the traditional Armenian church liturgy.

An unconventional story conveyed with a delicate sensuality about two broken souls and a brief encounter reigniting memories and leading to difficult choices.

A girl is volunteering to make nets for the front-line, a boy is selling nuts to fund-raise for the soldiers fund, another kids had to leave their home and be separated from their family because of war. They all share a little bit light from their life and hear to us through this film.

1915, Anatolia, Maryam and her brother Varto, two Armenian children, are caught up in the turmoil of war. Hassan, a young Turkish man, is given the difficult mission of rescuing them. The three of them will cross a war-torn country and discover each other beyond their differences. This journey has unexpected consequences in our own time, when a young woman and her teenage son, travel from Istanbul to Paris to meet a grumpy old Armenian.

The main characters of the film are lost in a labyrinth of timelessness where they have to sort out the real from the imaginary.

"Yerevan, Armenia, in the illegible secret of the country, imprisoned in its shadows, in its nights of the underground, nights of the basements, trains for nowhere... ephemeral traveler, light sleeper..."