Figure of Armen

Drawn to the idea of reconnecting with her ancestral homeland, the filmmaker, Marlene Edoyan embarks on a road trip across the countryside and villages of Armenia and the two Armenian-populated territories of neighboring Republics of Georgia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Through songs, stories, poems and chance encounters, the author learns how Armenians living in the South Caucasus are coping with the advent of independence, two decades after the breakup of the USSR.  Each story and experience is unique. As we move through the various territories, the issues of border tensions, language, ethnicity and cultural heritage become prevalent. Each community has a battle to fight. The recurrent theme throughout the film however remains the same: the challenge of residing and making a living in one’s homeland. While some are hopeful and proud, others are discouraged and bleak about the prospects of a better future. Figure of Armen captures a unique point in time where Armenian villages are being emptied out due to mass exodus from rural communities. On this breath-taking cinematic journey we witness what binds the people to this land and its legacy. A portrait of a nation and the universal issues of identity, migration, freedom, love and war.