Epress.am News from Armenia
Because of Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan's tardiness, organizers of the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival changed the program schedule, postponing film screenings for a brief period.
Sargsyan arrived at Moscow Cinema in Yerevan yesterday to watch Vitaly Mansky's film The Book, which is based on a script by Father Mesrop Aramian. The screenwriter was inspired by Gregory of Narek's Book of Prayers, and according to the film's description, "the hero of the film is a contemporary man living in the current world where the fundamental quest for the meaning of life is not on the agenda."
At the film screening, Sargsyan was accompanied by Minister of Education and Science Armen Ashotyan, Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan, and Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan. Ahead of their arrival, a red carpet was laid outside the movie theater entrance and metal detectors were placed outside the hall where the film was to be shown.
The official delegation arrived 40 minutes late, resulting in the film starting an hour late. Naturally, the screening of not only this film, but also all the films following it were postponed — including South Korean film director Kim Ki-duk's Pieta.
Filmgoers who had come to watch Pieta were not impressed. Some of them told the Epress.am correspondent that because of the delay, they were unable to watch the film, returning or giving away their tickets to others. In addition, people complained that Sargsyan's body guards obstructed their free movement, prohibiting them from standing in certain areas of the movie theatre while Sargsyan was watching a film inside.
The film festival's public relations department, in conversation with Epress.am, declined to comment on the change to the film screening schedule.
Photo credit: Office of the President of the Republic of Armenia