Epress.am News from Armenia
Last week, a joint film was shot by youth activists from the three South Caucasus countries (Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) in Tbilisi, Georgia. Participating in the project were four activists from the civic and public sectors from Armenia, three from Georgia and four from Azerbaijan.
The program was implemented with the support of the German Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom and was coordinated by experts from Germany.
Within the framework of the program, the youth were trained in all aspects of film production, including the use of technical equipment.
At the end of the program, the youth shot a short film, which they called “Progress is the freedom to imagine the world,” which will participate in the international competition dedicated to the Friedrich Naumann Foundation’s 50th anniversary.
The film is about a blind musician who lost his sight as a result of an unfortunate accident and now considers his life to be lost. One morning, when the musician was standing by his window smoking, he hears the sounds of Ravel’s Boléro inside his head; he is utterly moved as the melody grows increasingly louder in his head. He quickly puts out his cigarette and approaches his piano which he hasn’t played for many years. He begins to play Boléro, and it seems, the music calls him to life and he again begins to live her life fully.
“The film is about overcoming struggle and will; it frees one from all types of chains,” the filmmakers told Epress.am
Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom Southern Caucasus Project Director Yasemin Pamuk stressed the importance of such projects particularly in the Caucasus region.
“You know, that the Pan-Armenian National Movement in Armenia, the Musavat (“Equality”) Party in Azerbaijan, and the Republican Party in Georgia signed an agreement where it is noted in particular that these parties ‘should cooperate in establishing common principles.’ We too are against any acts of force and to prevent this we’re bring people together in such projects so they can understand that issues can be resolved without war. We want youth to stand up against war and to realize that it’s possible to sit around a table and reach an agreement on some issue or another, as was the case during the filming of this short film, when the ideas of people with different world views came face-to-face; however, the outcome was always found, by reaching a unanimous agreement,” she said.