HY RU EN
Asset 3

Loading

End of content No more pages to load

Your search did not match any articles

Film Review: The Last Inhabitant

By Marina Babayan

There has been drastic change in modern Armenian films in recent years.

Instead of cheering comedies, we began to see stories of some of the most devastating issues that Armenia has faced throughout history. The content is so emotional and deep that it makes you wonder, is this another way of expressing the grief and unity that all of us share?

One of those latest films is The Last Inhabitant (Verjin Bnakichu) directed by Jivan Avetisyan. With his personal, unique attitude toward Nagorno-Karabakh and Azerbaijani history, he’s managed to create a story so terrifying and heartbreaking that it becomes impossible to deny the talent and effort people put into producing something that reflects so much.

The story takes place during 1988, in a small Armenian village seized by Azerbaijan. A man named Abgar is left alone surrounded by enemies. He’s looking for his daughter, who we later find out is psychologically damaged due to seeing her husband getting killed. When Abgar decides to escape to Armenia with the help of his Azerbaijani friend Ibrahim, he gets caught by the enemy and dies. Though the story does not contain many events and was a bit stretched out, it was filmed in such a unique, unexplainable way that the viewer completely felt the atmosphere.

All the scenes of the film were very simple, and that simplicity shows how calm Abgar is in his house. Yet, in a minute, anything can change. The scenes with him and his daughter are priceless. Just looking at the characters peacefully having breakfast together despite the hell they are in makes you wonder how people can adapt and survive.

An important thing to point out is that while the film premiered recently in Yerevan, on November 17, it already has gained success. It has been submitted to the 74th Golden Globe Awards ceremony scheduled to take place on January 8, 2017 in Beverly Hills.

The film was produced with the help of foreign actors as well as our own. It is also worth mentioning that the actors’ performances in this film were astonishing. Seeing the majority of Armenian actors assuming the roles of Azerbaijanis and talking in their language only shows how talented and driven they are to represent the conflict at its best.

Music in films is sometimes the most important aspect to awaken emotions. The film was accompanied with great music written by System of a Down lead singer Serj Tankian. It beautifully fit the story and created tension.

When a film makes you feel a certain way, then it is good. But when a film makes you think or change the way you think about something, then it’s a masterpiece.

This film not only awakens the usual negative feelings toward war, but it also gave a lot to think about. It inspires hope, and implies that in the worst situations some people unite despite their culture or religion.

(Marina Babayan is a third-year student at the American University of Armenia, majoring in English and Communications. Writing is her passion - creating feature stories, reporting news, or just jotting down everyday life events in journals is what inspires her to become a journalist in the future.)

Write a comment

If you found a typo you can notify us by selecting the text area and pressing CTRL+Enter