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Armenian Reporter - 2/10/2007 - from the Arts & Culture section

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  • Armenian Reporter - 2/10/2007 - from the Arts & Culture section

    ARMENIAN REPORTER
    PO Box 129
    Paramus, New Jersey 07652
    Tel: 1-201-226-1995
    Fax: 1-201-226-1660
    Web: http://www.armenianreporteronline.com
    Email: [email protected]

    February 10, 2007 -- From the Arts & Culture section

    1. Nuclear art: Three Egoyans in four acts

    2. Cheers to POMEGRANATE WHISKY

    3.Arts Briefs
    * BEAUTIFUL ARMENIANS on Watertown cable in February
    * New Armenian sacred music
    * Zulal's Anaïs, Teni & Yeraz: In their own words
    * Minnesota Book Awards honors Akçam's new book
    * The ARMENIAN REPORTER wants your art briefs

    ****************************************** *********************************

    1. Nuclear art: Three Egoyans in four acts

    * Atom in words, Eve in notes and Arsinee in Berlin

    by Paul Chaderjian
    Special to the ARMENIAN REPORTER

    * Act I: Atomic Thinking & the Bigger Picture

    The fascinating genius of Atom Egoyan is the subject of a new book
    titled IMAGE AND TERRITORY: ESSAYS ON ATOM EGOYAN. Editors Monique
    Tschofen and Jennifer Burwell, both English professors at Toronto's
    Ryerson University, offer cinephiles and fans nearly 500 pages of
    thought-provoking essays about Egoyan's body of work. The book is
    published by Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

    IMAGES AND TERRITORY features both in-depth essays and interviews
    about one of the most talented artistic voices of the era. Penned by
    leading film and media scholars, the book offers an insider's
    perspective into the mind of the award-winning director, producer,
    writer, musician and artist. The essays also give the reader a
    perspective of how Egoyan's vision and words fit into, push forward,
    or challenge grander milieus like the arts, philosophy and politics.

    Inspiration, logic, relationships, and aesthetic are some of the
    themes explored in this multidisciplinary, must-read collection of
    essays about the nucleus of the man, the sought-after Hollywood
    director, the cult hero indie filmmaker, and Canadian and Armenian
    royalty.

    While you're on Amazon ordering the book, you may consider adding to
    your DVD collection titles like the ADJUSTER, SPEAKING PARTS,
    FELICIA'S JOURNEY, EXOTICA, THE SWEET HEREAFTER, WHERE THE TRUTH LIES,
    CALENDAR, and of course, ARARAT.

    * Act II: Mrs. Egoyan, AKA Arsinee Khanjian, takes Berlin

    The 57th Annual Berlin International Film Festival opened this week
    with a program of 343 films from 46 countries. One of the films chosen
    to be on the Bernali's film program this year is STONE TIME TOUCH,
    starring Arsinee Khanjian.

    The Canadian-Armenian film, directed by 36-year-old Gariné Torossian,
    will screen on February 9, 10 and 11. Torossian, like Khanjian, was
    born in Lebanon and immigrated to Canada. She says the film, her first
    feature, captures the diversity of communities in Armenia, the
    extremes and complexities of history since the Genocide, and explores
    Armenian identity and the meaning of the homeland.

    * Act III: All about Eve

    Critics are still raving about Eve Egoyan's January 25th performance
    with the Victoria Symphony. Under the direction of conductor Tania
    Miller, Eve (Atom's sister), was the featured piano soloist, taking on
    Rudolf Komorous' piece for piano called THE SEVEN SIDES OF MAXINE'S
    SILVER DIE.

    The GLOBE AND MAIL said Egoyan's remarkable playing balanced the
    delicacy of the piece with intense focus, "holding all in a net." The
    newspaper's Elissa Poole writes, "Egoyan timed these decelerations so
    perfectly that the spaces in between the notes were still charged with
    presence. Similarly when scales made way for chords, it was possible
    to imagine them as the same object perceived within different time
    frames."

    Want to know "All about Eve," point and click your way to
    www.EveEgoyan.com, check out her CDs, read the reviews, and get to
    know another talented Atomic electron from Canada's Garden of Eden.

    * Act IV: Fusion vs. Fission? Censors Vote for Violence

    Atom Egoyan is on film talking about the illogical rating system used
    by the Motion Picture Association of America. In the new documentary
    THIS FILM IS NOT RATED, Egoyan is interviewed by filmmaker Kirby Dick
    about the shadowy board which controls what audiences in the U.S. see
    on big and small screens.

    The documentary exposes the ratings process, the subjective dynamics
    and the religious-right influenced decisions that directly determine
    how films are made and whether or not they are successful. THIS FILM
    IS NOT RATED unmasks the decision makers who serve on the board, work
    behind closed doors, and often favor big-budget studio-produced films
    over independent ones.

    Egoyan is interviewed about how the MPAA board threatened him with an
    NC-17 rating for WHERE THE TRUTH LIES. The board told the director
    that he had to make certain shots in the Kevin Bacon-Colin Firth movie
    fuzzy to receive an R rating. In the documentary, Egoyan asks the head
    of the board: "Would you like to edit my next film?"

    Along with Egoyan, other bewildered directors interviewed about the
    MPAA rating system include Kimberly Pierce (BOYS DON'T CRY), Kevin
    Smith (JERSEY GIRL), Wayne Kramer (THE COOLER), Mary Heron (AMERICAN
    PSYCHO), and John Waters (A DIRTY SHAME).


    **************************************** ***********************************

    2. Cheers to POMEGRANATE WHISKY

    by Aram Kouyoumdjian

    "I want to go back to France," she drones, rolling the "r" and the
    cigarette in her hand. "She" happens to be the Statue of Liberty,
    depressed and embittered, and bored of American shores - at least as
    imagined by performance artist Lory Tatoulian in "Pomegranate Whisky,"
    her latest cocktail of comedic monologues and musical numbers. The
    faux cabaret plays Sunday nights at the Heartbreak House Studio in
    Atwater through March 18.

    Among the evening's many highlights, the Statue of Liberty segment is
    particularly memorable, thanks to Tatoulian's sophisticated humor and
    the deadpan hilarity of her performance. Lady Liberty longs for Paris
    as she laments her diminishing role in welcoming immigrants and, in a
    sharp political jibe, confesses fearing relocation to the Mexican
    border as a guard against illegal crossings.

    Despite her youth, Tatoulian is a veteran solo performer whose credits
    include "Sitting Twisted, Talking Straight" and "Unplucked." Press
    materials describe her as an "actress and playwright whose work
    explores issues of cultural identity, gender, and ethnic community
    dynamics," all true. In "Pomegranate Whisky," she morphs into diverse
    characters in a dozen vignettes, promising to leave her audience
    "shaken and stirred."

    The show actually opens with a lesser piece about a Southern cosmetics
    consultant hell-bent on introducing Western beauty techniques to the
    women of the Middle East through her "Operation Makeover Takeover."
    Unfortunately, "Takeover" never really takes off, despite Tatoulian's
    spot-on parody of the make-up maven.

    The evening soon shifts into high gear, however, with Tatoulian's
    kinetic portrayal of a chicana madly in love with Los Angeles mayor
    Antonio Villaraigosa. As she struts around exuding attitude, Tatoulian
    engages in some fearless physical comedy, even as she shows off her
    skill with accents and detailed, telling gestures.

    Proving her versatility and range, Tatoulian follows that piece with a
    vodka-swilling Russian man's existentialist riff on Communism.
    References to Dostoyevsky and Tolstoy ("funny guys") abound in the
    literate monologue, which often breaks into an absurdly distorted
    version of "I Love Paris."

    The musical portions of the program are consistently witty. While
    Tatoulian can claim credit for the clever lyrics, the arrangements and
    original compositions are the work of Ara Dabandjian, who provides
    instrumental accompaniment not just on keyboards, but also guitar and
    accordion.

    The most risqué among the songs is a subversive take on "My Favorite
    Things," the all-too-familiar tune from "The Sound of Music." In her
    gleeful rendition, Tatoulian - now sporting a British accent, natch -
    strips the song of its family-friendly lyrics and substitutes
    mischievous double entendres about the monthly visit of Aunt Flo.

    The standout musical sequence of the show, however, is a medley of
    Armenian children's songs that Tatoulian performs to sultry jazz
    rhythms. The concept is so inspired and the execution so flawless that
    one wishes Tatoulian were in an actual cabaret club rather than the
    somewhat drab studio where the show is currently staged.

    Although Tatoulian is dynamic throughout the show, portions of the
    evening that deal with Armenian themes and characters carry special
    resonance. An improvisational bit about Armenian history fell a tad
    flat during a recent performance, but Tatoulian was masterful in one
    of her signature roles, the middle-aged, middle-class transplant from
    Beirut to "the hills of the Glendale."

    Tatoulian captures the chatty lady's traits - from her mannerisms to
    her diction - so precisely that the resulting performance proves not
    just hysterically funny, but painfully honest. To be sure, the
    character's unchecked, inappropriate remarks generate hearty laughs
    (the suggestive ring of her heavily-accented pronunciation of "vacuum"
    leaves the audience in stitches). Yet, the power of Tatoulian's comedy
    lies in her ability to satirize the provincialism and materialism of
    the character and of certain strata within the Armenian community that
    she represents.

    So, if it's Sunday night and you're in the mood for a drink, try
    "Pomegranate Whisky." You will taste a wide range of surprising
    flavors, from sweet vermouth to bitter gin, with a splash of Armenian
    oghi thrown in.

    ********************************************* ******************************

    3.Arts Briefs

    * BEAUTIFUL ARMENIANS on Watertown cable in February

    The independent documentary BEAUTIFUL ARMENIANS by Tamar Salibian is
    broadcasting five days a week on Watertown's Comcast cable channel 10
    or RCN cable channel 13. The hour-long program airs on Fridays at 7
    P.M., on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9 A.M. and on Mondays and
    Thursdays at 4 P.M.

    In BEAUTIFUL ARMENIANS* Salibian reflects on the interrelation of
    culture, family, and memory. Part travelogue, part family chronicle,
    part meditation, BEAUTIFUL ARMENIANS starts in the United States and
    eventually moves to the Middle East. Salibian weaves interviews,
    portraits and comedic moments into a film about the place of the
    individual in the contradictions of transnational identity.

    Anahid Kassabian, film curator and professor at the University of
    Liverpool says that Salibian's "story sense is terrific" and the film
    explores its subject with "subtlety, empathy and humor."

    connect:
    www.myspace.com/beautifular menians

    * New Armenian sacred music

    A new composition of Armenian sacred church music -- the Badarak or
    Divine Liturgy of the Armenian Apostolic Church -- has been written by
    San Diego-based composer George Kirazian and performed by the Pacific
    Camerata choral group.

    Composing the Badarak was a 12-year labor of love for Kirazian, who
    became intimately familiar with the Yegmalian and Gomidas-composed
    Badaraks while singing in San Diego's Saint John Garabed Armenian
    Church. With love and respect for the Yegmalian and Gomidas versions,
    he was inspired to compose a new version of the music, combining both
    modern sensibilities and traditional harmonies while retaining the
    original text.

    A published author and English professor at Grossmont College for
    nearly forty years, Kirazian has always dedicated himself to music
    since studying opera and literature at New York University as a young
    student.

    Selected sharagans from Kirazian's BADARAK were recently performed by
    the professional choral group, Pacific Camerata, which also plans to
    record the composition.

    connect:
    www.hopeforfamily.org/GODky bd.html
    www.pacificcamerata.org

    * Zulal's Anaïs, Teni & Yeraz: In their own words

    "We had a wonderful time in L.A. at the Mosaic Concert. The concert
    was well organized by Hamazkayin, and the audience was incredibly
    receptive to Zulal. We had such a warm reception from the audience
    after the show, and it was truly a wonderful experience. From teens to
    the older generation, it seems like we touched people and that felt
    really wonderful. There's already talk of organizing the next Mosaic 2
    concert, so we might be back in L.A. again before we know it."

    "As for the rest of this year, we'll be taking a performance break to
    really focus on our second album. Teni, our soprano, just moved back
    to New York from Boston. So, the three of us are once again living in
    the same city, and we have a found new energy to forge ahead on
    several new projects."

    "We've been working with several film directors to create music for
    their soundtracks, which has been exciting. With our second album
    coming out towards the end of this year, we already have booking
    agents calling us to plan our concert tour, which will include New
    York, L.A., and several cities in Europe."

    (Editor's note: Zulal is on the soundtrack of Arsinee Khanjian and
    Gariné Torossian's film STONE TIME TOUCH, playing this weekend at the
    Berlin International Film Festival).

    connect:
    www.zulal.org
    www.cdbaby.com/ zulal

    * Minnesota Book Awards honors Akçam's new book

    Taner Akçam's A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question
    of Turkish Responsibility has been named a finalist in the 19th annual
    Minnesota Book Awards.

    The statewide honor will pick from nearly 300 books entered in eight
    categories. A SHAMEFUL ACT was one of five finalists in the General
    Nonfiction category, which at 90 entries was the toughest to win.

    In addition to the General Nonfiction honor, A SHAMEFUL ACT is
    eligible for the Readers' Choice Award. Minnesotans will have a chance
    to vote online for this award between March 1 and April 15.

    Winners will be announced on Saturday, May 5, at the Crowne Plaza
    Hotel on the Saint Paul Riverfront in downtown. From 1 P.M. to 2:30
    P.M. on May 5, the finalists will appear at a book signing at the
    Central Library, 90 W. 4th St., Saint Paul.

    connect:
    [email protected]
    www.th efriends.org/mnbookawards.html

    * The ARMENIAN REPORTER wants your art briefs

    The ARMENIAN REPORTER newspaper's new weekly Arts & Culture section
    wants your arts, entertainment, and cultural news headlines and story
    ideas.
    We want to know what Armenian artists and community and cultural
    organizations are up to, what your accomplishments have been, and what
    your future plans are. Write us if you know of or have heard about
    Armenians doing anything that you feel is interesting for other
    Armenians to know about, and we'll follow up.

    contact:
    [email protected]

    ****************** ************************************************** *******

    Please send your news to [email protected] and your letters to
    [email protected]
    (c) 2007 CS Media Enterprises LLC. All Rights Reserved

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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