Cultural cooperation with the diplomatic missions of foreign states in Armenia within the Golden Apricot film festival was presented at today's press conference. Susanna Harutyunyan, Golden Apricot Yerevan IFF Artistic Director, informed that the days of French, German, Russian, Polish, English and Danish films will be organized within the festival.
Nearly 200 German films have been presented during 13 years of holding Golden Apricot festival. According to German Ambassador to Armenia Matthias Kiesler Armenia is a country with rich culture and history to be proud of. The Ambassador stated that Germany is interested in participating in the festival as it highly assesses professionalism of the festival's organizers as well as the quality of the presented films. This year Day of German films will be held on July 12. Particularly, "24 weeks" film, which was presented in Berlinale film festival, will be screened for the first time, Kiesler informed, stressing that German opening night of this film is scheduled for autumn this year.
France participates in the festival with a fragrance of apricot with pleasure, Nicolas Faye, Charge d'affaires from the Embassy of the French Republic, said. The diplomat informed that this year rich program of French films is presented in the festival. In particular, the program French New Cinema will be held during the festival. It will include the best recent French films: Anna,dir. Jacques Toulemonde, Our Mother, dir. Fejria Deliba and Two Remis, Two, dir. Pierre Leon.
In cooperation with British Council in Armenia, a special film program -Shakespeare Lives in Film, dedicated to the 400th anniversary of renowned British writer William Shakespeare's death, will be presented. The best films, based on Shakespeare's plays, will be screened in the frames of the program:Hamlet, dir. Laurence Olivier, Hamlet, dir. Kenneth Branagh, King Lear, dir. Peter Brook, Macbeth, dir. Roman Polanski, Prospero's Books, dir. Peter Greenaway, Romeo and Juliet, dir. Franco Zeffirelli, the Tempest, dir. Derek Jarman.
Mark Kalinin, Director of the Russian Center of Science and Culture in Yerevan, noted that Golden Apricot is the most bright and eventful festival at least on the CIS space. According to him five Russian movies will be presented in the festival including in the competition programs.
13th Golden Apricot film festival will be held between 10 and 17 July in Yerevan. Golden Apricot Film Festival has been held in Yerevan since 2004 and is considered as one of the most prestigious in the region. The festival is organized with the Culture Ministry's assistance; the General Partner of the festival is Armenia's Leading Telecommunications Operator VivaCell-MTS. This year the festival is special as it is dedicated to the 25th anniversary of Armenia's independence.