New film to be released locally
Ryan Carter
A new film produced by three local Armenian filmmakers about
rediscovering a homeland, its culture and love, will soon be on the
big screen in Glendale.
“The Journey” opens Friday at the Glendale Cinemas, 501 N.
Orange Street.
The story is set in 1991 and is about Eve, a photojournalist who
is sent from New York to her native Armenia, where political changes
are rapidly occurring and the country is moving toward independence.
In the process of covering the events for her magazine, Eve comes
to terms with the loss of a childhood friend who had been killed.
The film was made by Edwin Avaness, of Burbank, and Emy Hovanesyan
and Angela Zograyan, both of Glendale.
“Glendale has one of the biggest Armenian communities outside of
Armenia, and we are excited because this is an opportunity for not
only Armenians but local people to learn a little more about who
Armenians are,” Avaness said. “It can also promote better
communications within the community.”
The film, which cost less than $1 million to make, was shot with a
digital camera in Armenia and in Los Angeles. The project was started
after the three met in January 2001.
Though it begins in New York, with English dialogue, it gradually
transitions into Armenian, with English subtitles, Avaness said.
“All English would have given an unreal look to the film,” he
said.
The filmmakers were conscious of not creating a piece that was
heavy on pontification.
“We didn’t want to create a film that had a message of ‘this is
how it should be,’ ” Avaness said. “We just have created film that
has a lot of information, education and entertainment. We want the
audience to get whatever they want to out of the film, to question
it, to talk about it and analyze it.”
Avaness said the film sold out in Italy during last year’s Milan
International Film Festival, where it won the festival’s Audience
Award. After a two-week run in Glendale, the film will be shown from
July 25 to July 31 at the Laemmle Playhouse at 673 E. Colorado Blvd.,
Pasadena.