{"id":48463,"date":"2024-01-16T05:59:05","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T05:59:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/armenian-film-amerikatsi-makes-oscar-shortlist-for-first-time\/"},"modified":"2024-01-16T05:59:05","modified_gmt":"2024-01-16T05:59:05","slug":"armenian-film-amerikatsi-makes-oscar-shortlist-for-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pakistaninewspaperlist.com\/news\/armenian-film-amerikatsi-makes-oscar-shortlist-for-first-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Armenian film ‘Amerikatsi’ makes Oscar shortlist for first time"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A heart-warming story of a man jailed for wearing a tie has become the first Armenian film to make it onto the Oscar\u2019s shortlist, in the international feature category.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Watch ARY News live on\u00a0live.arynews.tv<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cMost of the films that have been made about Armenia really tend to revolve around the genocide. I wanted to make a film that would be enjoyable for Armenians and something that could relate to non-Armenians,\u201d said U.S. actor Michael A. Goorjian, who has directed and written the film. He also stars in it.<\/p>\n

Shot in Armenia with a mostly local cast and crew, \u2018Amerikatsi\u2019<\/em> (\u2018American\u2019 in Armenian) is also an attempt to rebuild the country\u2019s film industry, which lost its way after independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat the film is about is survival and resilience. Despite the setting, it\u2019s very hopeful and playful,\u201d said Goorjian, whose late father was Armenian.<\/p>\n

It tells the story of Charlie, an American who repatriates to then-Soviet Armenia after World War Two and finds himself in prison because of his tie.<\/p>\n

From his cell, Charlie realises he can see inside an apartment nearby and lives vicariously through the life of the couple there.<\/p>\n

Making the film was itself a test of resourcefulness.<\/p>\n

Filming, interrupted because of the COVID-19 pandemic, took about seven months to complete, wrapping in July 2020 as border clashes broke out between Armenia and Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had cast and crew that went and fought in that war. And so it was a challenge to make this film for sure. But all the obstacles we faced, I would say actually made it a better film,\u201d Goorjian said.<\/p>\n

As international tensions and economic downturn dominate the headlines, \u2018Amerikatsi\u2019<\/em>, which premiered at the Woodstock Film Festival in 2022, has tapped into a human need for positivity.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve found with the film, people come up to me all the time and say \u2018I miss feeling this way after a movie, feeling good\u2019,\u201d Goorjian said.<\/p>\n

He will find out if \u2018Amerikatsi\u2019<\/em> has made it from the shortlist and onto the 2024 Academy Awards nominations on January 23.<\/p>\n

Shahrukh Khan\u2019s \u2018Dunki\u2019 nomination for Oscar confirmed by The Academy?<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n