The Armenian Bread

About Producer

Armen Gasparyan
Born in Leninakan (Gyumri) in 1970, Armen Gasparyan studied at Leninakan Art School named after S. Merkurov (1980-1984). In 1987 he worked as an assistant to a projectionist and in 1988 got the job of a projectionist at Leninakan’s “Oktyabr” cinema. In 1989 he worked as a fireman at the Leninakan State Dramatic Theatre named after V. Adjemyan. In 1991 he had a film directing course in A. Mkrtchyan՚s master class at Kumayri- Phoenix Film Studio. In 1993 Gasparyan moved to Moscow and studied screenwriting at VGIK (Class of V. Chernikh). Organized the A-Art Film Studio in Gyumri (1995-1998), producing four documentaries, out of which The Eclipse Witnesses got a special Critics՚ Award at the San Gio IFF in Verona, Italy, 1999. In 2000-2008 Armen Gasparyan was living in Kaliningrad, Russia, where he made four documentaries. The film Chronicles of the Restorers got a special prize at the Debut- Kinotavr IFF, Moscow, Russia. 2001. Since 2009 he is living in Armenia again and is engaged in film producing and directing. Inspired by the accounts he heard in Kaliningrad, Gasparyan wrote the narrative feature film screenplay The Last November about the deportation of Kaliningrad’s German population during World War II, which was picked up by both European and Russian producers and will start production soon.

Prizes

Prizes, Awards

San Gio - 1999

Italian Film Critics Prize for the film "Witnesses of the Eclipse" International Film Festival "San Gio" Verona, Italy, 1999.

Eurasia - 2001

Nomination "Best Documentary" for the film "Territory of Christmas" International Television Forum "Eurasia", Moscow, Russia, 2001.

Debut-Kintoavr - 2002

Prize "For high visual culture" for the film "The Chronicle of Restorers" Film Festival "Debut-Kintoavr" Moscow, Russia, 2002.

Magnificat - 2011

Jury Prize "For professionalism in revealing the sensitive themes of national history" to the film - "Armenian bread" International Film Festival Magnificat, Minsk, Belarus, 2011.

Greek Catholic Church - 2011

Special Prize of the Greek Catholic Church "For a profound film testimony of the masculinity of the faith of Christian Armenians during the 1915 Genocide" for the film "Armenian bread", 2011

Radonezh - 2012

Medal of St. Sergius of Radonezhskiy and the prize "For the best camera work" for the film "Armenian Bread" International Film Festival "Radonezh", Moscow, Russia, 2012

Baltic Event - 2012

The script "Last November" is a laureate of BALTIC EVENT at the forum for products and the awards ceremony of the European Film Academy. Tallinn, Estonia, 2012

Intimalente - 2014

Prize "For the best direction" for the film "Stolen Childhood" INTIMALENTE International Film Festival, Caserta, Italy, 2014

Signis - 2014

Special Prize of SIGNIS - World Catholic Association for Communications "For Poetic Revealed Problems of Contemporary Armenia" to the film "Stolen Childhood", 2014

Darekh Pearl Mylliet cinema movie award - 2015

Darekh Pearl Mylliet cinema movie award nominated for "Best Documentary" and "Best Director" movie "Stolen Childhood", International Film Festival "Van" Van, Turkey, 2015

Magnificat - 2015

Jury Prize "For High Cinematic Skill in Showing the Historical Memory of the Armenian People" to the film "White Day". International Film Festival Magnificat, Minsk, Belarus, 2015

Filmography

Documentaries

Self-portrait with the Bible, Armenia

Scriptwriter, Director, Producer
1994-1995

The Liturgy, Armenia

Scriptwriter, Director, Producer
1995

The Hermits of Alexandropol, Armenia

Scriptwriter, Director, Producer
1996

The Eclipse Witnesses, Armenia

Scriptwriter, Director, Producer
1997-1999

Christmas Territory, Russia

Scriptwriter, Director
2001

Chronicles of the Restorers, Russia

Scriptwriter, Director
2002

The Russian Name, Russia - Denmark

Scriptwriter, Director
2004

My Brother Is a Bishop, Russia - Germany

Scriptwriter, Director
2008