21 July 2002

Dear Don Askarian,
My wife and I just had the privilege of seeing your film, Musicians, here in Berkeley, California, USA, at the Pacific Film Archive (On 21 July).. Until that moment, I didn't really know anything about you except for seeing your name in the program listing. Now I know so much more about you! What a wonderful and haunting film! The disabled accordion player -- I don't have words for how he made me feel . . . Norayr Sharoyan, like thunder and lightning. . . The beautiful duduk music at graveside. . . all of it. . . More than words can measure. In relation to the scene at Khor Virab, I will say that as a diasporan Armenian who spent several years translating Raffi's novel Khent into English (published in 2000 as The Fool by Gomidas Institute), I particularly valued that scene, since in the opening part of "Khent" Raffi mentions the role of the tightrope walker and the clown that assists him. I had no previous acquaintance with that Armenian tradition.

Thank you very much. Hachoghutyun, shad shad hachoghutyun!
Don Abcarian