The film entitled “Listen to Me”, which was banned to be shown during “Golden Apricot” international film festival, has been displayed at “Media” center. Before the display of this documentary film, “Pink Armenia” NGO member, “Listen to Me” film screenwriter Hovhannes Ishkhanyan told that at the beginning they had met with LGBT community representatives and before that they had also doubted and did not think anyone would agree to speak in front of the camera with an open face, taking into consideration what opinions the society has. “Then, while speaking, we concluded that the movie should be the way to make everyone see and listen who the people are, who are not widely accepted and are even hated.”
Let us remind you that pursuant to the statement of “Pink Armenia” NGO, 2 films had been included in the 14th “Golden Apricot” international film festival “A Look from Inside and Outside” non-competition program on LGBT topic: “Listen to Me: Untold Stories Beyond Hatred” documentary and “Apricot Orchards” feature film. However, the Union of Cinematographers decided to leave the films of the program and not to show them. “LGBT community is an unnoticeable society, forasmuch as, starting from emotional distresses, your feelings are not legitimized, your feelings are not accepted, ending with your private life. Solely the fact that we become happy when someone does not make aggressive calls against us when we appear in somewhere, this is already ridiculous, for me the situation is ridiculous”, says one of the film characters.
In this documentary film about LGBT community 10 representatives tell about their lives, the relationships with their families, the society’s attitude towards them and this, as the representatives say, is a film about tolerance and equal rights.
Nelly BABAYAN
