PRODUCTION
Fish eye Art Cultural Foundation (Armenia),
ARTBOX Production House (Lithuania),
7 Morgen Filmproduktion (Germany)
Glaam Media Invest (France)
ARTsakh Arts and Cultural Foundation (USA)
Hirair and Nina Hovnanian Foundation (USA)
National Cinema Center of Armenia (Armenia)
Swiss South Caucasus Foundation (Switzerland)
Timeless Production Group (Bulgaria)
The Lab – A Media Production Company (Czech Republic)
Ala Bianca S.R.L. (Italy)
ARTDELUXE GMBH (AUSTRIA)
PARTNERS
SPONSORS
SUPPORTERS
Jivan Avetisyan’s third feature is a gripping war drama set during the 2016 Four-Day War in Nagorno-Karabakh. Cineuropa was lucky to see Jivan Avetisyan’s latest film. Initially set to premiere at this year’s Moscow International Film Festival, international war drama Gate to Heaven `{`+`}` was scrapped from the non competitive strand “to avoid clashes between Armenians and Azerbaijanis in Moscow” as a “precautionary measure linked directly to Karabakh,” as reported in September by Kirill Razlogov, the festival’s director of programming. Before working on this project, the Gyumri-born, Artsakh-raised filmmaker directed over 20 documentaries and shorts as well as two features, Tevanik and The Last Inhabitant.
“I’m still searching for ways to explain to my nine-year old son what happened and why.`` Cineuropa spoke to Jivan Avetisyan, director of Gate to Heaven. Our conversation focused on the making of his latest feature, its recent exclusion from the Moscow Film Festival and his new endeavours. Cineuropa: Where are you now? How are you? Jivan Avetisyan: I arrived in Yerevan from Artsakh on 8 November after the most horrendous time of my life. I hope that many are aware of what happened, the clashes that erupted in the middle of July and then again escalated into a full-blown war on 27 September, where Turkish-backed Syrian fighters joined Azerbaijani forces against the Armenians. During these cruel times, my family fled to Yerevan as we lost our home in Shushi. My family members are in Yerevan and have now recovered from coronavirus but still struggle from the psychological effects of the war. I am personally struggling with the reality that has now been forced upon me. I am still searching for ways to explain to my nine-year old son what happened and why, just like my father struggled back in the 1990s when I witnessed the same conflict. (The article continues below - Commercial information) I spent all of my time in Artsakh documenting these tragedies, along with Norayr Hovsepyan and Hrayr Avetisyan from Artsakh Public Television. As a team, we traveled to numerous parts of the war zone including the frontlines. We were able to film the towns and villages that were shelled, where many civilians had lost their homes and their loved ones. We also witnessed countless corpses which were left unattended, soldiers who had been killed while protecting our culture, history and homeland. All the scenes have now been stamped in my memory forever and the pain is impossible to describe. What I’ve documented will be included in my next feature, so I will slightly change the script and might include a personal story. I collected the seeds of all the fruits I ate while the clashes continued in order to create a Garden of Peace. Now the question is...
President Armen Sarkissian hosted film director Jivan Avetisyan. The director presented to Armen Sarkissian his movies and told about the forthcoming projects. He referred in particular to his latest movie named The Gates to Paradise, the history of its creation, works aimed at its presentation at the prestigious international film festivals and making it available for the world audiences. It was noted that the film, which evolves around the Artsakh conflict, is the result of the joint works with European film professionals. President Sarkissian wished success to the director and his creative team and expressed readiness to assist in the scope of his abilities in the implementation of their future plans. President Armen Sarkissian
I am an Armenian film director, born in Gyumri, raised in Artsakh and currently based in the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia. I, as a child, grew up during one of the most violent conflicts in the caucuses, understand well the brutal consequences of war. And although my own childhood was stripped of playful mischief and was instead laden with responsibility to protect family and friends, I did not abandon my dream and passion for filmmaking. My lifelong dream of storytelling, of chronicling history, and putting Artsakh on the world map has been realized through the art of filmmaking. I have created well over 20 documentaries, short films, and three feature films, Tevanik, The Last Inhabitant, and Gate to Heaven. My first feature film, ``Tevanik``, has been recognized in over twenty international film festivals claiming over twenty awards including Best Feature Film. My second feature film ``The Last Inhabitant`` was screened at A class international film festivals including Shanghai and Venice and was considered for the Best Foreign Language Film and Best Original Score in the 73rd Golden Globe Awards; it won Best Feature Film and Best Actor Award at the Scandinavian International Film Festival in Helsinki, Finland. Lastly, the film was licensed by HBO Eastern Europe. My third film project, ``Gate to Heaven`` is making its round in the festival market. I continue to thrive to tell stories about my hometown, and I am currently in the development stage of my fourth feature film which is earmarked for production in 2021. I believe Art can heal, and as Martin Scorsese once said:``Movies touch our hearts and awaken our vision and change the way we see things. They take us to other places, they open doors and minds. Movies are the memories of our lifetime. We need to keep them alive``.
European Work in Progress Cologne 2019: Here are the 28 selected projects 11. October 2019 | redaktion In only a couple of days, the wait for the people behind the 28 carefully chosen projects is finally over and the second edition of European Work in Progress Cologne (EWIP) will start on October 14 during the Film Festival Cologne. The event aims to bring together those creative minds with leading experts and representatives of international distributors, world sales companies, film festivals and other industry delegates in order to further develop and finalise collaboration and financing strategies. Torsten Frehse, board member of AG Verleih: “We are convinced not only of the diversity, but also of the quality of the projects we have selected and are very pleased that we were able to increase the number of presentations. After last year’s many success stories, we are already excited to see what the future holds for this year’s film selection!” The 28 projects are all in post-production but vary in topics and genre. As opposed to last year, it was now possible to submit documentaries. The acclaimed production company ROAD MOVIES has submitted one of the highly anticipated documentaries. Additionally, AL-ONE will present an animated film – another first at EWIP. Following the success of “Martin Eden” at international film festivals, the production company THE MATCH FACTORY will be at the event with a new project. Joram Willink, co-founder of BIND, represented the Netherlands as Producer on the Move at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2019. This year’s participants are not only diverse but more international, too. For instance, there will be South-American, Eastern-European and African co-productions. MANEKI FILMS joins European Work in Progress Cologne with a Brazilian/French co-production. Philipp Yuryev, who partnered up with ROCK FILMS for a Russian/Polish/Belgian co-production, is an up-and-coming director in Russia. AVALON is co-producing a Spanish/Mexican project. Other high-profile production companies that will join EWIP this year are MA.JA.DE, TUFFI FILMS, RED BALLOON and COOP99 FILMPRODUKTION.
On October 18, Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan received the film crew and actors of the movie “ Gate to Heaven”, directed by Jivan Avetisyan. Greeting the guests and congratulating them on the occasion of the successful project, Minister Mnatsakanyan noted that it was a great honour for him to be present at the film presentation and be a part of that wonderful evening. The Foreign Minister highlighted that people are at the core of the Nagorno- Karabakh conflict and this human story is best expressed in the movie “Gate to Heaven.”
YEREVAN, OCTOBER 17, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan attended today the premiere of Gate to Heaven, a 2019 drama movie directed by Jivan Avetisyan centered around the Artsakh war. The film stars Richard Sammel, Nina Kronjager, Leonardas Pobedonoscevas, Naira Zakaryan, Tatiana Spivakova, Sos Janibekyan and others. The plot of the movie revolves around Robert, a 50-year-old photo journalist who returns to Artsakh in 2016 to cover the NK conflict when the war was reignited after Azerbaijan launched massive hostilities in April. Robert soon meets Sophia Marti, a young opera singer who happens to be the daughter of missing photojournalist Edgar Martirosyan, whom Robert had abandoned in captivity during the fall of the village of Talish 24 years earlier. Robert and Sophia soon develop a passionate romance.
STEPANAKERT, OCTOBER 19, “Gate to Heaven” centered around the Artsakh war. The plot of the movie revolves around Robert Stenvall, a European journalist, who returns to Artsakh in 2016 to cover the April Four-Day war. During his time in Artsakh, Stenvall meets Sophia Martirosyan a young Opera singer and daughter of a missing photojournalist Edgar Martirosyan whom Robert left behind in captivity in the village during the fall of Talish in 1992. Robert and Sophia soon develop a passionate romance.
”Fish eye Art” Cultural Foundation was created in Armenia in 2014 with a mission to create high quality cultural projects, particularly films, and its beliefs and values that are based on universal human values.
For the past several years, ”Fish eye Art” Cultural Foundation has collaborated in a joint venture with National Cinema Center of Armenia and Lithuanian ARTBOX Production House, and in 2014, produced its first Armenian-Lithuanian full-length feature film Tevanik. After the Première in Yerevan, Tevanik was screened at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival receiving recognition from cinema professionals and festivals from around the globe and gaining more than fifteen awards for “Best Feature Film” in China, Italy, Romania, and US to name a few. It also screened in more than twenty countries worldwide. The film was translated into nine languages and was represented by international distribution in Greece, Romania, and United States.
The Foundation’s second full-length feature film, The Last Inhabitant, included world class actors including Homayoun Ershadi from Iran, best known for his role in Taste of Cherry, winner of Palme d’Or 1997. The lead cast also included Alexander Khachatryan from Armenia and Sandra Dauksaite-Petrulene of Lithuania and supporting roles included talent from Greece, Russia, and the US. The promotion campaign of The Last Inhabitant started at 69th Cannes International Film Festival where the film was presented at Le Marché du Film. The Première took place in Armenia in the framework of the 13th “Golden Apricot” film festival.
The film was considered at the 2017 Golden Globe Awards for “Best Foreign Language Film” and “Best Original Score” by Serj Tankian, world famous “System of a down” rock group soloist at the. The film was also included in 20th Shanghai International Film Festival in “Panorama” program and was screened at the 74th Venice International Film Festival in “Venice Production Bridge” program. The film also won “Best Film” and “Best Actor” awards at the Scandinavian International Film Festival in Helsinki, Finland. Later to be licensed by HBO Eastern Europe.