PROLOGUE TO A FORTHCOMING PROGRAMME IN TWO PARTS

PROLOGUE TO A FORTHCOMING PROGRAMME IN TWO PARTS
AT HAYASHEN CENTRE IN LONDON - UK
Last year's Cannes Festival 2010, the 'Golden Palm' for best short film was awarded to CHIENNE D'HISTOIRE, a film by Serge Avedikian (who also appears as an actor in the ARMY OF CRIME, the film by Guedikian about the valiant leader of the Resistance in Paris, Missak Manoushian and his comrades-in-arms).
Thankfully, I have received from Serge Avedikian the press-kit (attached) for his brilliant short film CHIENNE D'HISTROIRE. I have suggested the film for the 2011-2012 LSFC (Socialist Film Co-Op) programme. It is now listed there pending final decision by our selection committee in few months time.
The background of the Chienne d' Histoire, or Barking Island , is well recorded more than half a century ago by the distinguished writer and journalist Aram Andonian, himself a survivor of the Genocide of the Armenians. Here it is what he wrote, rendered into English (just published in UK by Gomidas Institute as Exile Trauma and Death. by Aram Andonian, Translated & Edited by Rita Soulahian Kuyumjian.):
"It should not be forgotten, of course, that the Ittihadists first tested their massive exile plan on the dogs of Constantinople - and I am alluding to the four legged creatures. They killed the defiant and biting ones on the spot and banishing the remaining ones to one of the Princes Islands, where most of them perished of hunger or tore each other to pieces. Their screeches reached Constantinople when the wind blew in the city's direction." (Page 6)
I received the DVD of the film from the director, the generous soul Serge Avedikian himself. This 15 minutes long magnificent animation film has both French and English subtitles..
Hence Serge Avedikian's film will be the first in the forthcoming two parts programme presentation in London at HAYASHEN- CAIA. Here below is the said programme.
As to the IN MEMORIAM for the Palestinian born Maestro Ohan Durian, I am happy to remember that back in 1969, maestro Durian invited me to sing the tenor solo for the first complete performance of Verdi's Requiem Mass in Yerevan, with Armenian Radio-TV Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus under Durian's exuberant direction. The Maestro had the whole musical score memorised, hence conducted without having the score in front of him on the podium. That was his usual performing practice. Among the audience was His Holiness, the magnificent Catholicos of all the Armenians, the late Vazken the First. ..Alas, I don't have a video recording of that unique Verdi Requiem performance.. But I have instead Aslanian's film of 2008, titled With Love, Ohan Durian, which includes among others, various musical excerpts conducted by the Maestro.
I sketched Durian's portrait in late 1969 when he visited my studio in Beirut, Lebanon. He signed at the bottom left corner of the sketch with musical symbols--as did sometimes the world's Armenian composer Aram Khatchaturian. What a moving tale we are told by his life companion, Alice, herself a singer, that the world's Armenian conductor Ohan Durian was listening to Mozart's music while breathing his last.on the morning of the Armenian Christmas Day, January 6, 2011, just over 88 years of age...

January 13, 2011
Khatchatur I. Pilikian
HAYASHEN
Centre for Armenian Information and Advice
05a Mill Hill Road, Acton, London W3 8JF

Sunday, January 30th, 2011 2:45 pm – 4:15 pm ***** Two Parts Programme Presented by Prof. Khatchatur I. Pilikian PART ONE 2:45 pm – 3:30 pm London premiere projection of the film CHIENNE D’HISTOIRE English subtitle --BARKING ISLAND (Animation – 15 minutes) Festival de Cannes 2010 Court Metrage Compétition Palme d’Or Award winning film by Serge Avedikian PART TWO 3:30 pm – 4:15 pm IN MEMORIAM Maestro Ohan Durian (b. Jerusalem 1922—d. Yerevan 2011) Projection of the film WITH LOVE MAESTRO OHAN DURIAN Directed and Produced by Arsen Aslanian Armenian Public Television 2008 (30 minutes excerpt)

Pillikian