1923, The Birth of Armenian Cinema

1923 marks the establishment of the first soviet state film studios in Yerevan, where Armenian pioneers Daniel Dzuni and Amo Bek Nazarov collaborated to produce groundbreaking films in various genres that are still popular today. In this WebTalk, art historian and curator Vigen Galstyan describes the first bold steps these two visionaries took to develop a national Armenian film industry and their contribution to a more authentic and self-reflective representation of the East in the context of world cinema of the silent era.

Originally published October 2023.

About the speaker

Vigen Galstyan

Born in Armenia, Vigen Galstyan is an art historian, curator and lecturer specializing in photography, film and Armenian art of the modern era. He holds a PhD from the University of Sydney and is currently the director of the Film Heritage Department at the National Cinema Center of Armenia and the head of Exhibitions at the History Museum of Armenia. Galstyan has curated over twenty exhibitions and authored numerous essays dealing with the history of Armenian art, photography and design.

Vigen Galstyan