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KUPELIAN CREATES ARMENIAN GRAPHIC NOVEL
El Vaquero, The Student Newspaper of Glendale Community College, CA
Nov 14 2012
Rebecca Krueger, El Vaquero Staff Writer
Roger Kupelian is the creator of some of the most iconic worlds
in contemporary cinema, such as the "Lord of the Rings "trilogy,
and he has constructed a new world in his latest endeavor, "East
of Byzantium."
With the job title of matte painter, it's up to Kupelian to paint
and digitally enhance the environments and backdrops of the movies
he works on.
"East of Byzantium" is Kupelian's recently published graphic novel
series and he is looking to make it into not only a mini-documentary
series, but into a major motion picture.
Kupelian promoted his latest project at the Glendale Central Library
Auditorium on Thursday.
"East of Byzantium" spans 150 years of Armenian history starting at
301 A.D. when Armenia became the first Christian state in history.
"Persia and the Roman Empire were warring with one another and between
this collision is Armenia," said Kupelian. "Emperor Diocletian sent an
exiled Armenian king back to claim Armenia as an ally of Rome. That
changed that region of the world forever. It set a series of events
in motion and altered not only the balance between empires, but the
balance of religions and cultures."
The story covers the aftermath of the Armenian king's reinstatement
and his people's division by religious tension. Armenia's monarchy is
soon toppled by the Persian army and the remnants of wealthy noble
families become rivals. The warring nobility's allegiance is deeply
rooted in its pagan (Persian) or Christian (Roman) heritage.
The constant bloodshed leads into the year 451 A.D. and Kupelian's
interpretation of St. Vartan Mamigonian, the most venerated saint in
the Armenian Orthodox Church.
"I wanted a Vartan that was very different than the one history
depicts," said Kupelian. "I wanted a Vartan that I can relate to. I
wanted someone that was in the mud, on the battlefield and was
struggling for his life, because that moment is glory for a warrior."
Kupelian painted his first image of Vartan in New Zealand, on the
set of "Lord of the Rings."
Working on "Lord of the Rings" sparked Kupelian's desire to write
the screenplay for "East of Byzantium" that also prompted the graphic
novel, but his foundation and passion for this story delves deep into
his childhood.
Growing up in Sierra Leone, Africa, Kupelian was apart of the minority,
being one of the very few African-Armenian kids in the region.
"You realize when I was growing up that I was a part of the United
Nations. Out of a mixed group I was the Armenian kid in Africa," said
Kupelian. "That is where my sense of identity came from. My parents
made sure that I understood our history, mythology and culture. I
knew where I came from."
During his childhood, Armenia was under the control of Soviet Russia.
When Kupelian was two and a half years old, his father took him to
the harbor in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where there was a Soviet ship
docking named Armenia.
"The ship was being sent around for propaganda purposes," said
Kupelian, "so, of course with a ship called Armenia there were soldiers
from Soviet-Armenia."
The Soviet-Armenians were exiting the ship when Kupelian was perched
on his dad's shoulders. His dad told him, "these are Armenians."
In response the young Kupelian recited in Armenian, "I am armenian,
I am son of Vartan, fear me."
The small chant is a loose translation of a traditional Armenian poem
about St. Vartan.
Kupelian recalls the power of his words, "There wasn't a dry eye
getting off that boat. These people were oppressed and nationalism
wasn't allowed. They didn't expect to hear something so free and
patriotic from some kid in Africa and we all grew up with that poem."
This experience has heavily impacted his love for his culture and
people. He also derives inspiration from his culture through learning
about the Armenian Genocide. Armenian culture has evolved over the
years, according to Kupelian. Armenians have gone from proud unicorns
to helpless victims.
"A culture that is thousands and thousands of years old, one hundred
years ago had to endure almost complete annihilation," said Kupelian.
"So we learned about the genocide in 1915."
He was a nationalist stuck between two conflicting emotions that are
a part of a culture that, seems to him, is always struggling.
Armenia was struggling again in 1998 when the Nagorno-Karabakh War
started and Kupelian set out to film it. "Dark Forest in the Mountains"
was Kupelian's first documentary, and the first time he directed a
movie. He started filming the war in the 1990s.
Avedis Sangigian is an Armenian-American veteran from the
Nagorno-Karabakh War who attended Kupelian's lecture. Sangigian
fought for a year and a half and was one of many Armenian Americans
that volunteered to fight.
Garo Kyahkidjian was a friend of Sangigian and is a main character
in Kupelian's documenatry. Kyahkidjian died after the war.
"I watch that documentary everyday," said Sangigian, in memory of
his old friend.
Sangigian and Kyahkidjian's bravery makes them warriors, according
to Kupelian.
"I want our next generation to see itself in terms of being a warrior,"
said Kupelian. "We must once again embrace and embody what it means
to be a warrior tribe."
http://www.elvaq.com/arts-and-entertainment/2012/11/14/kupelian-creates-armenian-graphic-novel/
El Vaquero, The Student Newspaper of Glendale Community College, CA
Nov 14 2012
Rebecca Krueger, El Vaquero Staff Writer
Roger Kupelian is the creator of some of the most iconic worlds
in contemporary cinema, such as the "Lord of the Rings "trilogy,
and he has constructed a new world in his latest endeavor, "East
of Byzantium."
With the job title of matte painter, it's up to Kupelian to paint
and digitally enhance the environments and backdrops of the movies
he works on.
"East of Byzantium" is Kupelian's recently published graphic novel
series and he is looking to make it into not only a mini-documentary
series, but into a major motion picture.
Kupelian promoted his latest project at the Glendale Central Library
Auditorium on Thursday.
"East of Byzantium" spans 150 years of Armenian history starting at
301 A.D. when Armenia became the first Christian state in history.
"Persia and the Roman Empire were warring with one another and between
this collision is Armenia," said Kupelian. "Emperor Diocletian sent an
exiled Armenian king back to claim Armenia as an ally of Rome. That
changed that region of the world forever. It set a series of events
in motion and altered not only the balance between empires, but the
balance of religions and cultures."
The story covers the aftermath of the Armenian king's reinstatement
and his people's division by religious tension. Armenia's monarchy is
soon toppled by the Persian army and the remnants of wealthy noble
families become rivals. The warring nobility's allegiance is deeply
rooted in its pagan (Persian) or Christian (Roman) heritage.
The constant bloodshed leads into the year 451 A.D. and Kupelian's
interpretation of St. Vartan Mamigonian, the most venerated saint in
the Armenian Orthodox Church.
"I wanted a Vartan that was very different than the one history
depicts," said Kupelian. "I wanted a Vartan that I can relate to. I
wanted someone that was in the mud, on the battlefield and was
struggling for his life, because that moment is glory for a warrior."
Kupelian painted his first image of Vartan in New Zealand, on the
set of "Lord of the Rings."
Working on "Lord of the Rings" sparked Kupelian's desire to write
the screenplay for "East of Byzantium" that also prompted the graphic
novel, but his foundation and passion for this story delves deep into
his childhood.
Growing up in Sierra Leone, Africa, Kupelian was apart of the minority,
being one of the very few African-Armenian kids in the region.
"You realize when I was growing up that I was a part of the United
Nations. Out of a mixed group I was the Armenian kid in Africa," said
Kupelian. "That is where my sense of identity came from. My parents
made sure that I understood our history, mythology and culture. I
knew where I came from."
During his childhood, Armenia was under the control of Soviet Russia.
When Kupelian was two and a half years old, his father took him to
the harbor in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where there was a Soviet ship
docking named Armenia.
"The ship was being sent around for propaganda purposes," said
Kupelian, "so, of course with a ship called Armenia there were soldiers
from Soviet-Armenia."
The Soviet-Armenians were exiting the ship when Kupelian was perched
on his dad's shoulders. His dad told him, "these are Armenians."
In response the young Kupelian recited in Armenian, "I am armenian,
I am son of Vartan, fear me."
The small chant is a loose translation of a traditional Armenian poem
about St. Vartan.
Kupelian recalls the power of his words, "There wasn't a dry eye
getting off that boat. These people were oppressed and nationalism
wasn't allowed. They didn't expect to hear something so free and
patriotic from some kid in Africa and we all grew up with that poem."
This experience has heavily impacted his love for his culture and
people. He also derives inspiration from his culture through learning
about the Armenian Genocide. Armenian culture has evolved over the
years, according to Kupelian. Armenians have gone from proud unicorns
to helpless victims.
"A culture that is thousands and thousands of years old, one hundred
years ago had to endure almost complete annihilation," said Kupelian.
"So we learned about the genocide in 1915."
He was a nationalist stuck between two conflicting emotions that are
a part of a culture that, seems to him, is always struggling.
Armenia was struggling again in 1998 when the Nagorno-Karabakh War
started and Kupelian set out to film it. "Dark Forest in the Mountains"
was Kupelian's first documentary, and the first time he directed a
movie. He started filming the war in the 1990s.
Avedis Sangigian is an Armenian-American veteran from the
Nagorno-Karabakh War who attended Kupelian's lecture. Sangigian
fought for a year and a half and was one of many Armenian Americans
that volunteered to fight.
Garo Kyahkidjian was a friend of Sangigian and is a main character
in Kupelian's documenatry. Kyahkidjian died after the war.
"I watch that documentary everyday," said Sangigian, in memory of
his old friend.
Sangigian and Kyahkidjian's bravery makes them warriors, according
to Kupelian.
"I want our next generation to see itself in terms of being a warrior,"
said Kupelian. "We must once again embrace and embody what it means
to be a warrior tribe."
http://www.elvaq.com/arts-and-entertainment/2012/11/14/kupelian-creates-armenian-graphic-novel/