I change the Armenian TV channels one after another. For understandable reasons, I search for a film during my break. A channel was showing an American film, where a child was taken a hostage and the parents were demanded of a ransom. As soon as I saw that the child was in danger, I changed the channel. If I watch a film from a “brand”, then it should be a light comedy-melodrama, where the girl and the boy do not understand each other for some reasons from the beginning, but eventually, everything comes into its place and they kiss (I apologize for my non-gentle film taste.) But at that moment I did not find such film and suddenly I found the “Orchestra boys”. Soviet comedy movies have a huge gravity power to me – “3+2”, “Kidnapping, Caucasian Style”, “Volga-Volga”, “The Diamond Arm” and a set of other films I can watch from any place and I always watch them until the end.
Moreover – “Orchestra Boys”. Mher Mkrtchyan, Armen Khostikyan, Levon Tukhikyan, Mayis Gharagyozyan, Kim Yeritsyan, Lorents Arushanyan – all young and enthusiastic, plus – Arman Kotikyan, the master of their older generation, the performance of those actors does not let me switch off the film. And the melody of the brilliant march written by one of our loved lecturers, composer Gevorg Armenyan, I remember very often, when I do not succeed in doing something (temporarily).
After confessing my love to that film, let me say that its display on TV insults my friends from Armenian Revolutionary Federation. And they do have something to get insulted of, forasmuch as 1920 events are represented in the light of the stereotypes of the Soviet propaganda, which, mildly said, were far from the historical truth. Not only the Armenian Revolutionary Federation should dislike that caricature-like representation of the First Republic, but any citizen of the Third Republic as well.
What is the solution in this case? Not to display one of the best samples of the Soviet Cinematography is wrong. It would be ideal to make an “opening speech” and explain everything before every display. But that is technically difficult, probably. It remains to change the caption at the end of the film. If you remember, it constituted: “The film is dedicated to the glorious 20th anniversary of the Soviet Armenia.” Instead of that, it can be written: “The events demonstrated in the film do not have any connection with historical events.”
ARAM ABRAHAMYAN
