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Iranian-Armenian[1] film director and stage director From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Arby Ovanessian (b. February 20, 1942; Persian: آربی اوانسیان Armenian: Արբի Յովհաննիսեան) is an Iranian-Armenian[1] film director and stage director living in Paris.
Arby Ovanessian | |
---|---|
آربی اوانسیان | |
Born | February 20, 1942 New Julfa, Iran |
Other names | Արբի Յովհաննիսեան |
Citizenship | Iranian, French |
Alma mater | London Film School |
Known for | Theartre and film director |
Arby Ovanessian was born on February 20, 1942, in New Julfa, the Armenian quarter of Isfahan, founded in 1606 by Shah Abbas I. This area is a significant cultural center for Armenians in Iran, named after the city of Julfa in Nakhichevan, from where many Armenians were deported by the Safavid Shah. After completing his university studies in Tehran, he went on to study film at the London Film School (1963–1966). There, he created "Parvana," an animated film directed by Richard Williams, which represented the United Kingdom at the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen.
Upon returning to Iran, he consistently combined theater and cinema. He joined the selection committee of the Shiraz Arts Festival, which allowed him to discover a young, previously unknown writer and newspaper seller, Abbas Nalbandian. He staged a memorable production of "A New, Profound, and Important Research on the Fossils of the Twenty-Fifth Geological Era" for the festival's second edition.[2][3]
In 1970, Peter Brook invited him to participate in the experimental research at the International Center for Theatre Research. He collaborated with Brook on the staging of "Orgast" by English poet Ted Hughes at the Shiraz Arts Festival. From 1970 to 1976, he worked with directors such as Jerzy Grotowski (Special Project) and Andrei Serban (The Master and Margarita). In 1976, he co-founded the Charsoo Theatre in Tehran with Sadr al-Din Zahed.[4]
He moved to Paris in 1979, after the Islamic Revolution, despite not speaking French.[5] Since then, he has continued to promote Armenian culture tirelessly.[6]
He is one of the most fervent advocates of experimentation in theater and cinema.[7] His theatrical productions have been presented at numerous festivals around the world and at the Théâtre des Nations.
He refuses to consider his theater as political, stating in 1979: "The occurrence of a revolution does not mean that the artist himself becomes revolutionary, but it means that what he believed in has come to fruition. Creation is always revolutionary, but it constantly evolves. Whereas, in terms of politics... sometimes things come to a halt."[8]
He has directed dozens of productions in four different languages:[9] English, French, Persian, and Armenian.[10]
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