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Arts Apr 08, 2016
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Red Carpet World Premiere Screening and After-Party Set for Thursday April 14
With the 101-year anniversary of the Armenian Genocide quickly approaching, so is the opportunity for people in Pasadena, Glendale, North Hollywood and surrounding cities to attend a showing of the highly-anticipated feature film by Diana Angelson, Armenia, My Love (http://armeniangenocidemovie.com/). The powerful drama, which beautifully shines a light on an extremely dark time in history, kicks off its limited Los Angeles theatrical release beginning on Friday April 15, 2016.
Armenia, My Love will screen in Pasadena at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 located at 673 East Colorado Boulevard as well as at the Laemmle NoHo 7 at 5240 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. The MGN 5 Star Cinema located at 128 North Maryland Avenue in Glendale, which has one of the largest communities of Armenian descent in the United States, is also screening the film beginning April 15.
The night before the official launch of the Armenia, My Love theatrical release, a red carpet World Premiere Screening Event will be held in Pasadena at the Laemmle Playhouse 7. Tickets are also available for purchase to attend the Thursday April 14, 2016 exclusive star-studded premiere screening which includes a riveting Q & A with the filmmakers and cast. Following the screening and Q & A, the festivities will move a few blocks down to an after-party at local hot spot Edwin Mills, by Equator, the sophisticated gastropub-isque restaurant and bar from esteemed Pasadena-based businessman and restaurateur Teddy B. which is located at the intersection of Mills Place and Edwin Alley at 22 Mills Place.
Under the multi-talented hands of Romanian American director Diana Angelson (Dracula: The Impaler, The Second Coming of Christ), who also stars in and wrote the screenplay, Armenia, My Love revolves around the plight of a happy family living in the Ottoman Empire on the occupied territory of Armenian Homeland, now Eastern Turkey, in 1915, whose dreams for the future become memories in the eyes of the most famous Armenian American artist, who lives to paint the story of his shattered childhood. Joining Angelson is a highly-regarded cast including the incomparable Shake Tukhmanyan (Lord of War, Sideways), veteran actor Anatol Razmeritza, Arman Nshanian (Palco & Hirsch, Leo’s Oscar) and Nazo Bravo (Armenian American, 4 Minutes), who is also an Armenian recording artist. Armenia, My Love also marks the feature film debut of 10 year old Petru Georoiu.
Also proving to be a vital player in the film is the awe-inspiring artwork created by esteemed Romanian artist Paula Matei which adds yet another layer of depth to Armenia, My Love. Another distinction, adding potency to Armenia, My Love, is the way it is masterfully shot by Romanian cinematographer Marius Neacsu, with the colorful scenes portraying a full life fading into the loss of color, brought by sadness and death, which are translated on the screen as black and white
“While Armenia My Love does expose the harsh realities faced by the entire Armenian People who were violently ripped from their homeland,” said Angelson who felt compelled to produce this film by her many Armenian friends and the powerful story they had to share. “It is Armenia, My Love’s strong messages of hope, love, faith, perseverance and strength that I wanted to prevail.”
And so they did. So much so that Angelson was chosen by Reuben Vardanyan’s 100 Lives Foundation, whose co-chair is George Clooney, as one of the people that commemorated the Genocide in a special way. George Clooney’s wife, Amal Clooney presented Armenia’s case in front of The European Court of Human Rights.
“Injustice is what drives me to write scripts,” continued Angelson who previously wrote the film Road of Love, about the Holocaust and how Romanian Christians helped save 400,000 Jewish people from Auschwitz, a little known fact throughout the world. “As a filmmaker, I want to help fulfill the tremendous need for people to know and understand past mistakes.”
Among the most difficult Armenia, My Love scenes to shoot, according to Angelson, was the marching of children, women and old people on a particularly hot day in the desert. After walking miles, to find the perfect shot, the cast and crew became sunburned, dehydrated and dizzy.
“As grueling as that was, I requested that my team think back to how their great-grandparents had to walk like that for days, with little crying children. Unlike them, we have the luxury to go back to our air-conditioned cars and easy life in a few hours, but them? We have to do it, to honor them,” Angelson shared. “We all burst into tears. I am still crying, as I am thinking of this.”
When contemplating her favorite scene from the movie, Angelson is quick to answer.
“The end. It still gets me. I watched the film 50 times and I still lose it. Because you see, there was so much love, and loss, and pain and tears and the Armenians did not lose Faith,” explained Angelson. “Such powerful words toward the end of the film, ‘We die today, but with a Cross in our hands and a 100 years from now, we will have grandchildren and great-grandchildren, that will carry our name’. And they are! The Armenians will Always honor their ancestors.”
Angelson’s plan for the film following the Los Angeles theatrical release?
“Hopefully it will travel the world and it will teach many people kindness,” she said with both a smile and a tear.
500 WORD FOR PRINT
ARMENIA, MY LOVE TO SCREEN IN PASADENA, GLENDALE AND NORTH HOLLYWOOD THEATERS BEGINNING APRIL 15, 2016
RED CARPET WORLD PREMIERE SCREENING AND AFTER-PARTY SET FOR THURSDAY APRIL 14 IN PASADENA
With the 101-year anniversary of the Armenian Genocide quickly approaching, so is the opportunity for people in Pasadena, Glendale, North Hollywood and surrounding cities to attend a showing of the highly-anticipated feature film by Diana Angelson, Armenia, My Love (http://armeniangenocidemovie.com/). The powerful drama, which beautifully shines a light on an extremely dark time in history, kicks off its limited Los Angeles theatrical release beginning on Friday April 15, 2016.
Armenia, My Love will screen in Pasadena at the Laemmle Playhouse 7 located at 673 East Colorado Boulevard as well as at the Laemmle NoHo 7 at 5240 Lankershim Boulevard in North Hollywood. The film is also screening at the MGN 5 Star Cinema located at 128 North Maryland Avenue in Glendale, which has one of the largest communities of Armenian descent in the United States.
The night before, a red carpet World Premiere Screening Event will be held in Pasadena at the Laemmle Playhouse 7. Tickets are available for purchase to attend the Thursday April 14, 2016 exclusive star-studded event which also includes a Q & A with the filmmakers and cast. Afterwards, the festivities will move to an after-party at local hot spot Edwin Mills, by Equator, the sophisticated gastropub-isque restaurant and bar from esteemed Pasadena-based restaurateur Teddy B., located a at 22 Mills Place at the intersection of Mills Place and Edwin Alley.
Under the multi-talented hands of Romanian American director Diana Angelson (Dracula: The Impaler, The Second Coming of Christ), who also stars in and wrote the screenplay, Armenia, My Love revolves around the plight of a happy family living in the Ottoman Empire on the occupied territory of Armenian Homeland, now Eastern Turkey, in 1915, whose dreams for the future become memories in the eyes of the most famous Armenian American artist, who lives to paint the story of his shattered childhood. Joining Angelson is a highly-regarded cast including the incomparable Shake Tukhmanyan (Lord of War, Sideways), Arman Nshanian (Palco & Hirsch) and Nazo Bravo (Armenian American), who is also a recording artist.
Armenia, My Love was masterfully shot by Romanian cinematographer Marius Neacsu, with the colorful scenes portraying a full life fading into the loss of color, brought by sadness and death, which are translated on the screen as black and white. Also of note is the awe-inspiring artwork created by esteemed Romanian artist Paula Matei, adding yet another layer of depth and authenticity to the film.
“While Armenia My Love does expose the harsh realities faced by the entire Armenian People who were violently ripped from their homeland,” said Angelson who felt compelled to produce this film by her many Armenian friends and the powerful story they had to share. “It is Armenia, My Love’s strong messages of hope, love, faith, perseverance and strength that I wanted to prevail.”
And so they did. So much so that Angelson was chosen by Reuben Vardanyan’s 100 Lives Foundation, whose co-chair is George Clooney, as one of the people that commemorated the Genocide in a special way.
