Arsinée Khanjian

Arsinée Khanjian (Western Armenian: Արսինէ Խանճեան, Eastern Armenian: Արսինե Խանջյան; ; born 6 September 1958) is a Lebanese-Canadian actress and activist. She is widely known for her collaborations with her husband, filmmaker Atom Egoyan. She won the 2003 Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Ararat.

Biography

Early life and education Khanjian was born in Beirut in 1958 to an Armenian family. Her grandparents had fled to Lebanon from present-day Turkey in 1915 as refugees from the Armenian genocide. Her paternal grandparents were from Diyarbakır Province in present-day Turkey, originally with the surname Hagopian.

Her family emigrated to Canada when Khanjian was 17 due to the Lebanese Civil War, settling in Montreal. She wrote, directed, and starred in the play Auction of Souls at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin.

Activism Khanjian is a civil rights activist and was briefly detained in Armenia in 2016 while protesting human rights abuses.

In 2017, Khanjian, along with Egoyan and Serj Tankian, founded the "Justice Within Armenia" initiative and participated in the parliamentary elections in Armenia as an observer.

Khanjian participated in the 2018 Armenian Revolution, repeatedly speaking at rallies, and making speeches on various platforms.

Honours Khanjian received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

In 2003, Khanjian was awarded the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots. The same year, she received the Queen Zabel Medal by the Armenian Apostolic Church in America.

In 2011, Khanjian was awarded the Order for "Services to the Motherland" by the Armenian government.

Personal life

Khanjian's husband, Atom Egoyan, credits her for inspiring him to further explore his Armenian roots. The two received Armenian citizenship in 2018. She lives in Toronto with her husband and their son, Arshile.