THE DOCUMENTALIST OF WAR AND PEACE

Interview with director, cameraman, producer, founder of the documentary film studio “Bars Media” Vardan Hovhannisyan.

– When I returned from the army, it was 1988. The movement for the liberation of Artsakh just began. I was very interested in what happens. In all this there was something fantastic, was a powerful energy. My classmate had a camera. And I started to shoot. It was very interesting: like you’re in a crowd, but at the same time you look to everything from aside. I thought: “Maybe now something I do not understand, but after 10 years maybe I’ll understand.” Then I started to send these tapes to Moscow, America, Germany, France, so many would know what is going on here, I began to collaborate with CBS News and the BBC as an independent journalist. This is how was my entrance into the documentary.

I was in Martunashen and Getashen, was shooting Tatul Krpeyan’s squad, Simon Achikgyozyan (Grandfather), the guys from the group “Arabo”.

Now I think I would be poorer, weakerer if there was not the war in my life. I do not say that the war is a good thing, but in many issues I became stronger.

In 1993, the documentaries studio “Bars Media” was created where we basically made films on ecology. When my 6 year old son, born after the war, once asked – what is war? – I thought that the best answer to my son and the sons of my fallen comrades will be the transformation of my materials into a film.

The film “Stories from the days of war and peace” had a huge success. Only in the Armenian film festival “Golden Apricot”, it received 4 authority prizes, was shown in 15 countries – in England, America, etc., participated in 20 festivals and won many serious prizes. But the secret to success, in my opinion, is not so much that the movie is good or bad, but the fact that the images are very bright, interesting – Kadzhik, Chout, Felo, nurse Anahit, who before and after the fight, told their thoughts in front of the camera. In the film we see two parallel realities – the days of war and peace…

After one of the shows of the film one Belgian came up to me and said that I nade a very strong propaganda film. But I had no such purpose, I said. “I am a member of parliament of Belgium. According to you, the next time when there is a discussion on the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict, in whose favor I’ll vote? Of course, in favor of Felo, Chout and your other characters…”

I wanted the audience to come to the idea of justice of our struggle. This is not about the fact that Azerbaijanis are bad, wrong, etc., but that our struggle is just, and this land belongs to us. In fact, we won not because we hated the Turks, but because we loved our country.

And now for the 1st Armenian channel, we began a series of TV-programs “My army”. We visit different military units. Sometimes we hear expression about “lost years”, but in reality these years are an invaluable acquisition, which they’ll feel, understand only after 5, 10, 15 years. You just need to try to serve very well, get from the army maximum that you can get, and all that you can give.

In short, despite all the difficulties, the service is a huge benefit not only for our country but for every guy, this is an important experience for the whole life!

Interviewed by QNAR TADEVOSYAN