GLENDALE—Friday, April 7 saw the Glendale premiere of Armenian director Jivan Avetisyan’s second feature length film, The Last Inhabitant. Held in the legendary Alex Theatre, over 700 people were in attendance at the screening organized by the Artsakh Arts and Cultural Foundation.
The evening kicked off with a VIP Pre-Show Reception with 450 people in the foyer of the theater, with passed appetizers by Mi Piace and Cafe Santorini and beverages provided by Remedy Liquor. The event also had additional sponsors that are noteworthy to mention: Director’s Package – Massis Kabob/Hagop Baghdassarian and family. Corporate Package Sponsors: EFP Realty, Kevorkian/Madenlian Law Offices, Asbarez, Dr. and Mrs. Viken Hovsepian, Dr. and Mrs. Herach Yadegarain, Mr. and Mrs. Timmy Mardirossian, ARF Dro Gomideh, and Airapetian Law Firm.
The program for the evening’s events began with a voiceover introduction by Adrineh Mirzayan, executive producer of The Last Inhabitant. The film, which was inspired by true events, tells the story of Abgar (played by Alexander Khachatryan), the last Armenian resident of a town in the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh bordering Armenia and Azerbaijan. In 1988 his small mountainous village is turned upside down overnight due to this inter-ethnic conflict between Armenians and Azeris as they fight for power and resist mass deportations of Armenians in the region. Despite these rising tensions and bleak horizons, Abgar relies on the friendship of his neighbor Ibrahim (played by Homayoun Ershadi) to help him survive and eventually find his lost daughter (played by Sandra Daikusate-Petrulene). With a moving soundtrack by none other than System of a Down’s Serj Tankian, Avetisyan’s film told a powerful story of the bonds of family and friendship overcoming the hardships of war that is still painfully relevant in the modern era.
“The terror, tragedy and timeliness of Jivan Avetisyan’s stories are unmatched, said Alex Kalognomos, Executive Producer, Los Angeles Greek Festival. “His characters represent the struggle that all Armenians feel as a result of losing their homeland. Avetisyan’s gift as a filmmaker is how he gives resonance to this Armenian story so it can reach all people, touch all souls. He is one of a kind. Anne Bedian is brilliant and Adrineh Mirzayan is one of our best producers ever!â€
