Honored president of “Golden Apricot” film festival, Harutyun Khachatryan, handed Parajanov thaler to the renowned Israeli filmmaker Amos Gitai for his contribution to the world cinema. Israeli filmmaker was thrilled. He said that it is a great honor for him to receive Parajanov award. “Parajanov, whom I had the honor to meet in 90s in Rotterdam, is the greatest film director. He proved that it is not necessary to follow the existing patterns and one can create simply by following the voice of the heart and the imagination … I had Bresson Prize and Ruselini prize, too, now I received a Parajanov award …,” mentioned the Israeli film director. He added that he has the greatest respect for the Armenian people, which has commonalities with his people by fate and the past.
“The Armenian district is one of the most beautiful parts of Jerusalem. As for the Armenians and Jews, both are not many in the world, but Armenian contribution to the world culture is great,” added the artist. Amos Gitai is one of the contemporary Israeli cinema figures, one of “new wave” developers. He presented four films at the “Golden Apricot”, of which the last one, “Ana Arabia,” won the Special Jury Prize at the Venice Film Festival in 2013. Today, opening of Amos Gitai’s retrospective screening program launched at the “Moscow” cinema with “Ana Arabia” film. Israeli film director did not introduce the film, saying that it is dangerous to speak long before the film. He just said that he had shot the film in-between Tel Aviv and Gafay, with one shooting. The film’s plot summary is as follows: a young journalist Yael is preparing an article about former prisoner of Auschwitz, ethnic Jewish Hannah. The latter getting married to a Palestinian accepted Islam.
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Ana Arabia is her new name, which translated means “I am an Arab.” The whole film is developed on the memories of this family members and friends. The message of the film is that the political conflicts are proceeding by another course, whereas the life and happiness by another course. After the end of “Ana Arabia” film, the audience applauded as a sign of satisfaction. In general, the films shot under this year’s “Golden Apricot” are proceeding in full halls, and the audience always applauds in the end of high quality films, which they like.
Gohar HAKOBYAN
