© DR
Shoghakat Vardanyan
Although Shoghakat Vardanyan never studied filmmaking, her first film, the documentary 1489, won the Best Film Award and the FIPRESCI Prize at IDFA 2023 in the International Competition. She also won the Best Documentary Award at the Trieste Film Festival and other prizes at international festivals. She is also invited as a jury member for various festivals.
Shoghakat was born in 1993 into a family of artists in Yerevan. At the age of six, she decided to study music and become a pianist. She completed her studies at the Music School before continuing her training at the Komitas State Conservatory of Yerevan, earning a Bachelor’s degree in piano in 2014. She has performed classical, academic, contemporary, and experimental works, both as a soloist and as a member of chamber ensembles, as well as an accompanist, in Armenia, the United States, Canada, and Europe. Since 2017, she has been performing free improvisations and is a member of the Contemporary Sound Orchestra of Yerevan (Pots and Drums).
In September 2020, the war in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) broke out. When her family stopped receiving news from her younger brother, who was fighting on the front lines, she took her mobile phone and started filming. This led to the creation of her first film, 1489. For the editing-in-progress version of 1489, she received the Armenian Prime Minister’s Award (which she declined, believing that the film should have no political connection) in 2021, as well as the Grand Prize for Work in Progress at the Golden Apricot Film Festival in 2022.
GUESTS →
Achot Achot
artist
Hovik Afyan
writer
Areni Agbabian
vocaliste expérimentale
Vahram Aghasyan
artist
Maretta Aivazian
artist
Arpi Alto
singer, songwriter, musician, performer, producer
Ruben Arevshatyan
exhibition curator
Arevik Arevshatyan
artist and exhibition curator
Nazik Armenakyan
photographer
Hovnatan Avédikian
director and actor
Serge Avédikian
actor and director
Areg Balayan
visual artist and photographer
Marie Barguirdjian
art historian
Narek Barseghyan
artist
Krikor Beledian
writer
Viken Berberian
writer
Edik Boghosian
artist
Élise Boghossian
writer
Ariane Chemin
senior reporter
Anis Faris
musician
Sophie Fontanel
writer
Astrid Fournier-Laroque
mezzo-soprano and actress
Ruben Grigorian
painter
Sevak Grigorian
sculptor
Robert Guédiguian
director
Tigran Hamasyan
musician
Susanna Harutyunyan
writer
Hamlet Hovsepian
videographer
Marc Karapetian
bassiste
Yessaï Karapetian
Pianist
Meri Karapetyan
visual artist
Hayk Karoyi
musician
Karim Kattan
writer
Mosin Kawa
musician
Narek Kazazyan
musician
Vahagn Khachatryan
documentary filmmaker
Sergey Khachatryan
violonist
Lusine Khachatryan
pianist
Karén Khachaturov
artiste
Sona Khachikyan
artist
Nairi Khatchadourian
artist
Ruben Kniasian
musician
Davit Kochunts
artist
Jerad Lippi
batteur
Aren Malakyan
director
Hasmik Manouchian
André Manoukian
Musician
Artyom Manukyan
musician
Sasun Margaryan
artist
Olivier Martinaud
actor and director
Nora Martirosyan
director
Gohar Martirosyan
videographer
Khachatur Martirosyan
artist
Garush Melkonyan
artist
Artyom Minasyan
musician
Inna Mkhitaryan
photojournalist and director
Claire Mouradian
writer
Vahram Muratyan
art director and graphic designer
Melik Ohanian
artist
Rima Pipoyan
chorégraphe
Tigran Sahakyan
engraver
Araks Sahakyan
artist
Pinar Selek
sociologist
Tatiana Spivakova
actress, director, writer, and musician
Hover State Chamber Choir
musicians
Tamara Stepanyan
director
Jean-Chat Tekgyozyan
writer and playwright
Camille Thomas
celliste
Rebecca Topakian
photographer
Andrei Ujică
director
Arman Vahanyan
engraver
Teni Vardanyan
painter
Shoghakat Vardanyan
director
. Yerevan Calling Quartet
music group