Archive for October, 2009

Review: Voice of the Voiceless

Review: Voice of the Voiceless

Full Disclosure: I generally like to keep this humble space free of bias, as my years of journalism school and experience has taught me. Objectivity is a key component of any journalistic standard. However, since this is a film review, my opinions on the subject matter at hand have a rightful place in this post. [...]

Review: Armenia’s Oscar Contender Autumn of the Magician

Review: Armenia’s Oscar Contender Autumn of the Magician

Rouben and Vahe Gevorkyants’ film on legendary and world renowned Italian screenwriter Tonino Guerra, “Autumn of the Magician,” is a meaningful and introspective look into Guerra’s life, loves and enduring romance with Armenia. Through the use of one-on-one interviews, footage from Guerra’s films and powerful images of otherwise ordinary objects and activities, it is not [...]

Arpa International Film Festival Takes Off in Los Angeles

Arpa International Film Festival Takes Off in Los Angeles

The 12th annual  Arpa International Film Festival is in full gear at the Egyptian Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. as it showcases close to 50 films  from 23 countries, including United States, Armenia, Iran, Germany, Venezuela, Turkey, Malawi, Israel, India and Mexico among others over the span of three days, Oct. 23 to Oct. 25. [...]

Watch This: Youthful Dreams in Nagorno-Karabakh

“I can live with any good people, regardless of the color of their skin, regardless of their faith”  say Artyom Hakobian, in a report filed by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty about an entire generation of young Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh who are reaching adulthood in a changing world.  As a settlement between Armenia and Azerbaijan possibly [...]

Letter From the Editor: September/October 2009

Letter From the Editor: September/October 2009

Whenever I hear the word “Armenian,” I flinch. I feel uncomfortable when I see it written on paper, and do my best to scurry my eyes away from a word that seems to carry such an enormous weight. I suppose it is unnatural for me to feel this way – after all, I am Armenian, [...]

Scores of Women Die of Childbirth in India

Scores of Women Die of Childbirth in India

If a person dies, she dies,” says Suresh S., the neighbor of a deceased pregnant woman in Uttar Pradesh, India. “If someone hangs himself then it becomes a police case. But if someone dies in a hospital, then no one cares.” Suresh is quoted in “No Tally of the Anguish,” a report published in October [...]

Why the Credibility of Armenian Diaspora Organizations Has Been Mise en Cause

  Regardless of the whirlwind of nationalism and discontent displayed by the Armenian Diaspora – the Turkey-Armenia Protocols opened a new chapter of bilateral relations for both the Republic of Turkey and Armenia, with their respective signing of the treaty in Zurich this October. The Azeri Trend News Agency was quick to headline (in incorrect [...]

Interview: Writer Ara Baliozian

Interview: Writer Ara Baliozian

“A writer’s two best assets: the sensitivity of an open wound and the hide of a rhino,” writes Ara Baliozian on his blog,  which houses his daily thoughts on topics ranging from religion, to money, politics, literature and of course Armenian matters. An author and translator, Baliozian’s writing has received a fare share of criticism [...]

Armenians, Turks React to Protocol Signing

Armenians, Turks React to Protocol Signing

    Protocols expected to establish a relationship between Armenia and Turkey after almost a century of hostility were signed in Zurich, Switzerland on Saturday, Oct. 10, with attendance from Armenia and Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Edward Nalbandian and Ahmet Davutoglu, respectively, prompting a wide array of reaction from Armenians and Turks alike. The [...]

Thousands in Los Angeles Protest Armenia-Turkey Protocols

Thousands in Los Angeles Protest Armenia-Turkey Protocols

An Armenian crowd of thousands covering three blocks of Wilshire Blvd. protested against the Armenia-Turkey protocols on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009, as Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan met with notable members of the Armenian diaspora at the Beverly Hilton for a gala banquet to discuss and receive feedback about the protocols. The protest, organized by the [...]