From 25 May 2021 until 1 June 2021, the Armenian Institute in partnership with Klassiki, the world’s first ever streaming platform dedicated to classic cinema from Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia, will host UNDER SOVIET SKIES, an online film festival spotlighting recently restored and newly subtitled classics of Armenian cinema and celebrating the theme of neighbourliness with films from Russia, Georgia and Ukraine.
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Please email info@klassiki.online with Registration for Under Soviet Skies in the subject field, alongside your email address and proposed user name and you will be registered for a free festival pass for a week.
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Tuesday 25 May 2021, 7pm BST
You can watch the launch on our Facebook page or Youtube channel
We launch our week-long programme with Hello! It’s Me Premiere, preceded by an introduction with Vigen Galstyan, head of the National Cinema Centre of Armenia’s Heritage Department, Tatevik Ayvazyan, director of the Armenian Institute of London and Justine Waddell, founder of Klassiki.
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Tatevik Ayvazyan, Director of Armenian Institute
Born in Yerevan, Tatevik has lived in the UK over 20 years, working in filmmaking, screenwriting and programme management. With two post-graduate degrees, Tatevik has a broad education in social sciences, as well as extensive background in Armenian literature and the arts. She is a literary producer and writer, responsible for curating, editing and translating the Armenian and English poetry in Rebel Republic Film's multi-award-winning arthouse film, Taniel. Currently, she is adapting Iris Murdoch's The Italian Girl.
Vigen Galstyan, Director of Film Heritage NCCA
Vigen is an art historian, curator and lecturer specialising in photography, film and Armenian art of the modern era. He is the director of the Film Heritage Department at the National Film Centre of Armenia and the Head of Exhibitions at the History Museum of Armenia. Vigen completed his PhD dissertation on nineteenth-century Armenian historiographic photography at the University of Sydney. He has curated over twenty exhibitions and authored numerous essays dealing with the history of Armenian art, photography and design.
Justine Waddell, Founder of Klassiki
Born in Johannesburg, Justine began her career as an actor, appearing in such films as Tarsem’s The Fall and Alexander Zeldovich’s The Target, for which she learnt the Russian language from scratch. Now a successful producer and screenwriter, Justine launched streaming service, Klassiki, in February 2021, enabling UK audiences to access the best of cinema from Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia.
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This event is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Our events are free on zoom but we need your help to continue producing exciting programmes. Please visit our Support Us page to make a contribution. https://www.armenianinstitute.org.uk/support-us
