Artists have used their art to protest against politics and politicians for years in Armenia. But after the 2018 revolution, many artists stopped using the tools they had developed to push their agenda—despite the fact that the new government gave them plenty of reasons for protest.

In this film, which was made in the summer of 2020, Hovhannes Ishkhanyan speaks with three artists—Karen Ohanyan, Artak Gevorgyan and Arthur Petrosyan—to find  out why they stopped protesting like they used to. And, inspired by them, Hovhannes creates his own piece of political art. 

Disclaimer: Armenian artist Artak Gevorgyan, one of the interviewees of this film, is a husband of Armenia media manager Sona Simonyan.

Hikoyat Manasyan, an ethnic Tajik, and her Armenian husband Eduard Manasyan are members of Armenia’s Bahá'í community. Considered one of the youngest religions in the world, the faith traces its origins in the early 1800s and is named after its founder Bahá'u'lláh which means, “Glory of God” in Arabic. The faith places the spiritual unity of God, religion, and all mankind as its core principles. As community engagement is one of the faith’s core values, Hikoyat and Eduard spend their time outside work with the young people on educational activities and projects.

How does a camera affect the behavior of a character whom a director tries to depict and how does that character affect the director? Do filmmakers manipulate people or are they manipulated?

Months after the attack on Excitement and Call, a public performance of contemporary dance and poetry, co-authors choreographer Hasmik Tangyan and writer Lilit Petrosyan recall their feelings and analyze the impact the attack has had on their work.

The once warm relations between a boy and his grandfather have became more strained over the past several years. Harut Khachatryan, a five-times married 78-year-old, lives in a large house he built himself in the Armenian capital, Yerevan. He works day and night and struggles to convince his grandson, Hovhannes Ishkhanyan, to help him. Hovhannes was once his shadow but the two have grown apart and he now ignores his grandfather. But after years of estrangement, Hovhannes – now a grown man and a filmmaker – decides to try and repair his relationship with his grandfather. He begins to spend time with Harut to learn about his life, the history of his family and to clarify what caused their estrangement.

Marriage is no longer the unchangeable Armenian custom that it once was. Young, urban Armenians today have far greater choices about how to live their lives than in the Soviet era. For some, staying with one person for life no longer seems relevant.