Hishé + Bon Voyage • Filmhuis Denhaag Filmhuis Denhaag

Anahid Yahjian, Garegin Papoyan

Hishé + Bon Voyage - Armenian films

This screening will show the following films:

Hishé (Anahid Yahjian) - Nagorno-Karabakh, 2021

Hishé is a short documentary that deeply explores the themes of mourning, loss and memory in the post-conflict region of Nagorno-Karabakh (also called Artsakh). Set after the 2020 war, the film explores how this region, historically and culturally significant, is slowly disappearing from view, both physically and in the memory of the people who lived there.

The film is a poetic meditation on alienation and the burden of memories. Using archival footage and personal stories, Hishé shows how memories can be the only remnant of a place that is no longer physically accessible. The documentary invites the viewer to consider what it means to lose not only a place, but also the possibility of return. It is a reflection on the impact of war and the pain of remembering something that is no longer there.

Director biography

Anahid Yahjian is an independent writer, director and producer of experimental, documentary and narrative cinema. Her work is driven by questioning and pursuit: of history, of power, of memory, of liminality, of the surreal and the sublime.

Her commitment to telling true stories (even if they come from her imagination) was shaped by an early love for visual storytelling that was formalized in college and took flight during her coming of age in Armenia. There, she produced the internationally awarded narrative short 140 Drams (Camerimage, Clermont-Ferrand 2013), laid the creative groundwork for the feature documentary Spiral (IDFA Bertha Fund 2015, Golden Apricot 2017) and shot and directed the viral digital documentary LEVON: A Wondrous Life (2013). Since returning to Los Angeles, she shot and directed the experimental cine-triptych, Corpus Callosum (2014-2016) and directed the narrative science-fiction short Transmission (BFI Flare, Vancouver QFF 2019). She was later commissioned by the City of Glendale’s ReflectSpace gallery to create the docu-memoir Hishé (2021). When not creating her own work, she directs branded content and music videos for clients such as AMC Networks, Amazon Music and Joyful Noise Recordings. Recently, she also supervised post production on televised series and digital content for A24, Netflix, Vice and Spotify.

A citizen of the world, she is fluent in English, Armenian and Bulgarian and can get by in Spanish and Russian. She splits her time between Yerevan, Sofia (her birthplace), Los Angeles (her home), and New York City.

Bon Voyage (Garegin Papoyan) - Armenia, 2021

The staff of a sleepy airport in the vicinity of a small city goes through its daily routine. Weather is checked in the control room, the secretary makes coffee for the director, the workers come in for an obligatory medical check-up while the cleaners ensure that the marble floors are spotlessly clean. Something is not quite right however…The airplanes and the passengers are nowhere to be seen.

Through wry observational scenes, Bon Voyage describes the absurd ironies of a not-so-ordinary post-Soviet community stuck in the political impasse generated by a frozen military conflict. Fully equipped for accommodating small civilian flights, the recently rebuilt Stepanakert Airport in the break-away Republic of Artsakh does not operate due to the permanent threat of missile strikes.

Unwilling to risk any lives, the airport, nevertheless, remains “open”. The dreary ritual of keeping the standby facility operational turns the workers into a closely-knit family unit, where each individual lives out their personal dreams while continuing to hope for the basic freedom to cross borders and receive guests.

Director biography

Garegin Zhirayr Papoyan, born on June 30, 1985, in Yerevan, Armenia, is a filmmaker and visual storyteller. After earning a degree from the Armenian State University of Economics, he spent a decade in the communications industry before transitioning to visual arts. With over five years of experience in documentary photography, Garegin expanded his craft by working as a cinematographer at Shoghakat TV. His debut short documentary Skhtorashen (2015) marked the beginning of his filmmaking journey. In 2021, he completed Bon Voyage, his first feature-length documentary, which was shot in 2018. Most recently, his co-directed documentary TEZETA premiered in 2024. In addition to his work as a filmmaker, Garegin is passionate about film preservation, contributing to the restoration of classic Armenian films, including Land of NairiHouse on the Volcano, and Lur-da-Lur.

Documentary Voices from the Armenian Highlands and Diaspora

On November 16th, Filmhuis Den Haag will showcase a selection of Armenian films as part of the Armenian Cultural Weekend. This special weekend is organized in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Armenian Cultural Association Abovian. During this event, the rich Armenian culture will be highlighted, featuring a diverse program that allows visitors to explore the history, art, and traditions of Armenia. See the program here.

Regisseur Anahid Yahjian, Garegin Papoyan
Land Nagorno-Karabach, Armenië
Taal Armeens, Engels
Ondertiteling Engels
Speelduur 76 min
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Voor je bezoek

Openingstijden

Van maandag t/m zondag is de kassa van 10.00 tot 22.00 uur open. Ons café is open van 10.00 tot 00.00 uur. Kom dus heerlijk ontbijten, een kop koffie drinken, lunchen of vegetarisch dineren. We kijken ernaar uit!

Kassa

Info over tickets, prijzen en kadobonnen vind je op de bezoekerspagina. Vragen? De kassa is telefonisch (070-3656030) bereikbaar op maandag tot en met vrijdag tussen 10:30 en 12:30 uur. Je kunt ook een mailtje sturen naar tickets@filmhuisdenhaag.nl.

Kom eten

Speciaal voor het Filmhuis hebben onze vrienden van Karsten & Kuiper een selectie van heerlijke gerechten samengesteld waarvan je in gezelschap - of alleen - kunt proeven! Verse, lekkere en verrassende smaken van kwaliteit voor een vriendelijke prijs, gezellig in ons filmcafé.