Armenia is my memory, it is a
part of my life,“
says DON ASKARIAN, Armenian film poet, whose Armenian films achieved
international success
You received the Golden Camera Award yesterday at the Opening Ceremony of
the 11th Art Film Festival. Today, you open the exhibition of your
photographs. Critics say your style fits magic realism but you describe
your creative method as “creation of new reality”. Could you briefly
characterize this method?
Don Askarian with Golden Camera, Art Film festival,
2003. PHOTO by Jan SebMk
Each artist creates his own new
reality. A special world is born in filmmaking which is much stronger and
more intensive than our real world. Filmmaking goes by its peculiar laws.
It creates its model of the world. It does not wish to mimic the rules of
real world but rather creates its own. The real world is influenced by
laws and rules and I don’t want anybody to direct me in the making of my
films. As for magic realism, I would like to differentiate my work from
literary magic realism of Gabriel Marquez who changes reality into a
grotesque showing human passions spontaneously. I am different; I am
interested particularly in the truth. The word magic in itself is very
dangerous.
At this festival, six of your films will be screened which received
international recognition. Can you give briefly characterize them? Which
of them do you personally consider the best?
I cannot say which one is the best because you never make a film on the
assumption that it will not be good. First of all, the message of the film
must be true. My films were made in the range of twenty years. That means,
the last one is currently closest to the current “me” and the first one is
closest to my „me“ at that time.
Critics compare your films with the works of Andrei Tarkovski or Luis
Bunuel. Do you agree with their opinions?
I must say it is a great honor for me when my films are compared to the
works of those great figures of cinema. Tarkovski is for me personally a
hero of film. They used to compare me with Parajan and Dali but comparing
is only good for those who feel like doing it and do it. Because every
artist is unique...
What is the present situation of Armenian filmmaking?
We have a few truly famous directors such as Parajanov or Peleshyan but
there are very few films made in Armenia today. There is not enough
motivation to make films. It is also a matter of money which is an
obstacle to making of new Armenian films.
What are the basic sources of inspiration for your filmmaking? Do you
consider your personal experience your major source?
My sources of inspiration and topics change with time. At present, I am
committed to documentary filmmaking. At the festival, one of my most
recent documentaries will be screened – Musicians. The film was made using
digital technology which opened up new creative opportunities to me. The
work with digital camera seems to be more flexible and provides space for
wide use. But this is my first experience with this technology. I am
inspired mostly by the truth of the story which I use. I use both
professional actors and „natursciks“. An amateur actor can give more
truthfulness to the film than a professional. Of course, I also like
Armenian literature which I use in my work. For example, I used an
Armenian story for the film On the Old Roman Road.
Even if you work in exile, your films portray mostly Armenian life,
Armenian culture, and historic events related to Armenia which are
expressed in your films by dream images and allusions to mythology. What
role does your Armenian origin play in your films?
Armenia has a huge significance in my filmmaking because it is my memory,
a part of my life and it provides me with material that I know very well.
It is my personal experience. All the national elements in my films are
second to cinematographic, international essentials. I believe that
cinematographic elements are more important in film and rank above the
national. Cinema has always served to propaganda – whether national or
traditional..., but it should capture the truth as it is and it should be
above national aspects. Each filmmaker puts a small piece of truth into
his film. The goal of the director is to show a true model of the world.
Truth in film is an awesome rarity. It should be very important to
filmmakers but many forget about that.
What topics do you deal with in your still photography and what do you
think the relationship is between film and photography?
Film is tied particularly to time because camera captures events unfolding
in time. In my photography work, I focus mostly on young beautiful women
and nature.
Editor’s note: At the opening of photographs of Don Askarian today in the
library of Kursalon at 11 am you can see for yourself the beauty of nature
and human body. It is surely worth coming.
