Cinema of Armenia

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

In March 1924, the first Armenian film studio: Armenfilm (Armenian: Հայֆիլմ "Haykino," Russian: Арменкино "Armenkino") was established in Yerevan, starting with Soviet Armenia (1924) the first Armenian documentary film.

Namus was the first Armenian silent black-and-white film (1926, Namus at the Internet Movie Database), directed by Hamo Beknazarian and based on a play of Alexander Shirvanzade describing the ill fate of two lovers, who were engaged by their families to each other since childhood, but because of violations of namus (a tradition of honor), the girl was married by her father to another person. The first sound film, Pepo was created in 1935, director Hamo Beknazarian. Among more recent directors we should mention:

• Sergei Parajanov (best known for The Color of Pomegranates)
• Henrik Malyan Nahapet
• Artavazd Peleshian (best known for The Seasons of the Year)
• Hamo Beknazarian
• Edmond Keosayan
• Frunze Dovlatyan
• Mikhail Vartanov (best known for Parajanov: The Last Spring)
• Levon Mkrtchyan (Hovhannes Shiraz)
• Atom Egoyan Ararat
• J. Michael Hagopian, for his acclaimed documentaries on the Armenian Genocide, modern Armenian history, and Historical Armenia

See also

• Cinema of the world
• Armenfilm

External links

• Armenian Cinema: Armenian films and Armenian filmmakers
• Armenian Cinema: Biographical Sketch