"The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia" documentary to be screened in Amsterdam
The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia is world premier at the International Documentary Festival Amsterdam (IDFA).
The documentary (Vardan Hovhannisyan, Arman Yeritsyan, Inna Sahakyan, Armenia, US, Japan, 2009, Colour, video, 54 min) tells a story current Armenia through the two of Armenia's most celebrated tightrope dancers, both in their late seventies. The elderly men place their hopes in a teenage orphan to take over this ancient art form or face having it lost forever.
Zhora, 78-years-old, and Knyaz, 77-years-old, were once the most celebrated tightrope dancers in Armenia. Today they are the only masters who can keep this art alive against the currents of contemporary society. Envious rivals throughout their lives, they now share the same hope, that the only remaining tightrope, student will continue their art. Hovsep, a 17-year-old orphan adopted by Zhora, has to decide whether to become the last tightrope dancer in a society that has abandoned both him and the art of tightrope dancing. And now, after the death of Zhora, his teacher, Hovsep's choice has only become more difficult.
After each film there will be a Q & A session with the film's director, Inna Sahakyan.
The documentary (Vardan Hovhannisyan, Arman Yeritsyan, Inna Sahakyan, Armenia, US, Japan, 2009, Colour, video, 54 min) tells a story current Armenia through the two of Armenia's most celebrated tightrope dancers, both in their late seventies. The elderly men place their hopes in a teenage orphan to take over this ancient art form or face having it lost forever.
Zhora, 78-years-old, and Knyaz, 77-years-old, were once the most celebrated tightrope dancers in Armenia. Today they are the only masters who can keep this art alive against the currents of contemporary society. Envious rivals throughout their lives, they now share the same hope, that the only remaining tightrope, student will continue their art. Hovsep, a 17-year-old orphan adopted by Zhora, has to decide whether to become the last tightrope dancer in a society that has abandoned both him and the art of tightrope dancing. And now, after the death of Zhora, his teacher, Hovsep's choice has only become more difficult.
After each film there will be a Q & A session with the film's director, Inna Sahakyan.
