"Spitak" about Armenia quake joins Best Foreign Language Oscar race

PanARMENIAN.Net - The drama "Spitak" about the devastating earthquake that shook Armenia on December 7, 1988, is Armenia's submission for the upcoming best foreign language film category at the Oscars.

Directed by Russian filmmaker Alexander Kott, the feature film is based on real events and includes stories taken from eyewitness accounts.

In the movie, the director has intentionally left scenes of horror behind the camera, focusing on the experience of the characters instead.

Kott himself describes “Spitak” as ‘a requiem film’, in which he has attempted to convey "the panic, despair, courage and heroism" of those who tried to find their home and family despite everything.

Prior to shooting, the director decided that all the heroes will speak their native languages, so the film ended up featuring Armenian, Russian and French speeches.