03 April 2023
Prior to the centenary of Armenian cinema, the National Cinema Center of Armenia in cooperation with educational institutions has launched projects for schoolchildren related to the Armenian film heritage. The goal of the initiative is not only to familiarize and arouse interest in the national film heritage but also to give them the opportunity to come up with new creations based on the national film heritage and in line with perceptions and ideas of the 21st century. This is a unique opportunity to follow the way “early” Armenian cinema or Armenian cinema in general is perceived and interpreted nowadays.
On this occasion, a Memorandum of Cooperation was signed between the National Cinema Center of Armenia and the Ayb School. According to the Memorandum, the parties will implement scientific-educational, cultural-entertainment joint programs, the school students will get acquainted with classical Armenian cinematography and produce their own films. The Heads of the two institutions, Shushanik Mirzakhanyan and Davit Sahakyan believe that the ratification of the Memorandum meets the interests of both parties, expanding the scope of cooperation on an official basis.
“Schools promote the development and transmission of cultural heritage in each country with an educational mission. In this context, we also consider Armenian cinema as a unique part of our identity and culture, and the centenary of Armenian cinema is a good opportunity to serve that mission”, - said Davit Sahakyan, Executive Director of the Ayb School. According to Shushanik Mirzakhanyan, director of the National Cinema Center, working with children is not only pleasant and promising but also a great opportunity to get and develop fresh ideas.
According to the Memorandum, cooperation will be carried out in the following directions: open and closed film screenings will be held in the Ayb School, schoolchildren will create educational games, assist in editing and translating Wikipedia materials, create podcast series about Armenian films based on literary works, as well as prepare informative videos for social platforms. In addition, screenings of films and posters’ exhibition created by the “Arvestanots” Clubs will be organized as part of the project study of the Ayb School. All the content created in the framework of the cooperation regarding Armenian cinematography will be distributed and presented among the students of public schools.
The NCCA specialists will assist the students with advice on content selection.
