Don Askarian
Encyclopedia
Don Askarian was born in Stepanakert
, Nagorno Karabakh. In 1967 he went to Moscow
and studied history
and art
. He worked as an assistant-director and film critic for a year after his study. In 1975-1977 Don Askarian was imprisoned. In 1978 he emigrated from the USSR to West Berlin
. For the last 25 years he has lived and worked in Germany
, The Netherlands and in Armenia
, where he founded his own film companies. He is a prize-winner at several international film festivals.
In 1996, Don Askarian published his book "The Dangerous Light". Every year the interest to his unique films grow up. More and more film festivals come to honor Don Askarian with retrospectives. Serious TV-stations like ARD
, WDR, ZDF
, Channel 4
, Arte
, but also Belgian, Greek, Swiss, Slovakian, Armenian etc. TV Channels are constant co-producers and buyers of all his films. The films of Don Askarian were sold and broadcast world wide about 80 times. Don Askarian, honored with a Harvard Film Archive retrospective, is considered the greatest Armenian filmmaker (but he is Russian-German-Dutch too).
In 2004, he received the Golden Camera Award for Life Achievement at Int. ART Film Festival, Slovakia. It turns out to be clearer what Hans-Werner Dannowski, the president of Interfilm (between 1989–2004), meant in 1992: "Time will pass until we recognize that Don Askarian is one of the most important filmmakers of our times. His movies will take up the time they need. Finally the films will have their success not with lies and assimilations but with truth." The retrospectives and special screenings around the world, on TV and important film festivals reflect it, mirror the growing interest in Don Askarian's films followed by a broad fascination by the audience.
Stepanakert
Stepanakert is the largest city and capital of the Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, a de facto independent republic, though is internationally recognized as a part of Azerbaijan...
, Nagorno Karabakh. In 1967 he went to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and studied history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
. He worked as an assistant-director and film critic for a year after his study. In 1975-1977 Don Askarian was imprisoned. In 1978 he emigrated from the USSR to West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
. For the last 25 years he has lived and worked in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, The Netherlands and in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, where he founded his own film companies. He is a prize-winner at several international film festivals.
In 1996, Don Askarian published his book "The Dangerous Light". Every year the interest to his unique films grow up. More and more film festivals come to honor Don Askarian with retrospectives. Serious TV-stations like ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
, WDR, ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
, Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, Arte
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
, but also Belgian, Greek, Swiss, Slovakian, Armenian etc. TV Channels are constant co-producers and buyers of all his films. The films of Don Askarian were sold and broadcast world wide about 80 times. Don Askarian, honored with a Harvard Film Archive retrospective, is considered the greatest Armenian filmmaker (but he is Russian-German-Dutch too).
In 2004, he received the Golden Camera Award for Life Achievement at Int. ART Film Festival, Slovakia. It turns out to be clearer what Hans-Werner Dannowski, the president of Interfilm (between 1989–2004), meant in 1992: "Time will pass until we recognize that Don Askarian is one of the most important filmmakers of our times. His movies will take up the time they need. Finally the films will have their success not with lies and assimilations but with truth." The retrospectives and special screenings around the world, on TV and important film festivals reflect it, mirror the growing interest in Don Askarian's films followed by a broad fascination by the audience.