Arman Chilingaryan: An artist’s point of view should be pure, never biased or flattering the authorities
ABC Interview’s guest was screenwriter and film director Arman Chilingaryan. According to Arman, we do not know well and appreciate what we have, while great director Tonino Guerra admired what we had like a child.
– Sometimes there are difficult times when there is a lot to say. What are our times like, and is it easy to get the point across now?
– In the Soviet period, there was an expression; they used to say, “You should look between the lines.” Those who wanted to understand what was said understood it, even if it was communicated too implicitly. Movies have been left on the shelves for decades, but people have communicated what they wanted to say. I mean, if you have something to say, times don’t matter.
– Is it possible to be “friends” with the authorities and not be biased?
– Every period in history has its own significance that should be brought up. It is important for a creator not to get lost and not to make friends with the authorities. When one makes friends with the authorities, he/she loses the opportunity to say what he/she has to say from his/her point of view. Even if the authorities are good—although we understand that it is just a dream for us—one should always be in opposition so that he/she can look at the situation from his/her own point of view. Your point of view should be pure, never biased or flattering the authorities.
– In one of his interviews, the famous Russian director Sokurov said that Russia is deeply sick now. What about Armenian society?
– I agree with him; now they are facing the problem of understanding who they are, where they are going, why and how. We are faced with big problems as well, one of which is restoring respect for a person, a citizen. We have a task of returning that respect…
– Arman, most of the films are directed by male directors, and women in those films are presented through the eyes of men. Is their viewpoint correct and doesn’t the global film industry lack female directors’ viewpoint?
– I have a list of female directors who have been a guide for me in the world of the film industry. They are few, but they exist: Leni Riefenstahl, Larisa Shepitko, Kira Muratova, Kathryn Bigelow, Liliana Cavani…
– What fascinated great director and screenwriter Tonino Guerra—about whom you made a film and whom you were lucky enough to show Armenia— in Armenia, and how was he able to get to know Armenia in such a short period of time?
– I got acquainted with him through the famous, fantastic director and artist Rustam Khamdamov. Getting to know Tonino Guerra, I learned something very interesting about us: We do not fully appreciate the place, the country where we live. We went to Geghard with Tonino Guerra; he didn’t want to return from there. Looking at those mountains, he said: “Armenia is a country where you can travel not only horizontally, but also vertically, because wherever you look, it gives you a reason to think, it gives you a reason to admire. Beauty is natural…” There are countries that have a couple of things, and they show it, while we have so many things; but we have not properly studied what we have. Even the little things that we showed him impressed him. He treated everything like a child. He was open to the country; he was open to culture; he was open to history, and that’s why he was able to receive and express. Many people can see, but not everyone is able to correctly express what they see. He can do it wonderfully.
Interview by Lena Gevorgyan
