A three-day retrospective of films featuring New York-based master of Armenian theater and cinema, Nora Armani, took place in Yerevan at the Cinema House.
Organized by the Union of Film Professionals of Armenia, the event opened with the screening of Deadline in 7 Days (1991), directed by Ara Yeranjakyan, artistic director of Yerevan’s State Chamber Theater. Known for his theatrical productions, Yeranjakyan blends reality and imagination to create multilayered cinematic canvases with elements of surrealism. The film presents old and semi-collapsed buildings, where echoes of a once-flourishing existence resonate deeply. This sentiment is mirrored in the eyes of the characters, played by Ashot Adamyan and Nora Armani), who await miracles and love to come to their rescue.
On the second day of the retrospective, audiences viewed The Last Station (1992), by documentary filmmaker Harutyun Khachatryan and co-directed by Armani. The film tells the story of two young Armenian diasporans through a unique blend of documentary and fiction. Armani and Gerald Papasian co-wrote the screenplay.
The story follows an Armenian-American actress (Armani) who moves to Hollywood in pursuit of fame and fortune but refuses to accept the harsh and often unjust demands of the film industry. Ultimately, she discovers the source of her artistic aspirations alongside fellow actor Papasian. Together, they stage and tour performances of Armenian poetry and stories. During their travels, they meet actor Armen Dzhigarkhanyan, who joins their troupe as stage manager.
In pursuit of their dreams, the young actors eventually relocate to newly independent Armenia, a country struggling with cold weather and energy shortages. Gerald (Jirayr) Papasian and Nora Armani were recently awarded a special prize by the Armenian Cinema Guild for their performances in The Last Station and for their broader contributions to Armenian cinema. The film is currently being screened in Paris as part of a retrospective of Khachatryan’s works organized by the Pompidou Centre. The next and final screening of The Last Station will take place on November 17.
The retrospective concluded with a surprise. The Yerevan audience was presented with the premiere of the film, The Last Wish (2024), directed by Finnish director Rax Rinnekangas in a Finnish-Spanish co-production. From the opening frame, the audience was immersed in an unusual psychological and psychoanalytic narrative. The protagonist seeks justification for his existence through a final wish passed down from his deceased mentor: to read Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov three times.
In the Spanish-language film, Armani speaks in Western Armenian, portraying multiple female characters from Dostoevsky’s works and guiding her co-star toward answers to complex psychological questions. During the post-screening discussion, Armani explained that for Rinnekangas — who has directed eight other feature films — incorporating characters speaking their native language is a form of artistic expression.
Armani’s use of Western Armenian in The Last Wish creates a ritualistic, mysterious subtext that envelops the viewers, drawing them into a cinematic space that encourages reflection and optimism.
This article was written by Samvel Martirosyan.
Thank you for a beautiful coverage of my retrospective. I truly appreciate your support of my work.
Best wishes,
Nora