Levon Mkrtchyan

Levon Mkrtchyan (; ; born February 25, 1953, in Leninakan (now Gyumri) is an Armenian director, known for his documentary films about Armenian culture and history, such as Davit Anhaght, Charents: Known and Unknown Sides, Jean Garzu, Mesrop Mashtots, My Komitas, And There Was Light, The Book of Independence. He has received the highest award of the Soviet Union, the Lenin Prize. He has earned numerous awards for his documentaries. His last prestigious award was received during the Golden Eagle film festival for his film The Book of Independence, in the Best Documentary category. He studied in the Directing Department of the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theater Institute. In 1978, he released his debut short film The Muses. In 1984, he graduated from the Directing Department of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography (VGIK) in Moscow. Since 1978, he has shot thirty-three documentaries. He has made a number of films about well known Armenians, including the only film footage of Hovhannes Shiraz, footage of Charles Aznavour visiting Armenia after the 1988 earthquake, as well as the funeral of William Saroyan. He was a close friend and film partner with the Armenian director Sergei Parajanov, and has a rare footage of him, including the last days of his life.

Filmography

1983: On the Path to Eternity (about Hovhannes Shiraz) 1984: Paruyr Sevak 1987: Gyumri 1987: Charents: Known and Unknown Sides 1988: Mesrop Mashtots 1989: Curfew 1989: Charles Aznavour Armenia 1990: General Andranik 1993: Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia 1996: 5 years in Armenia 2001: And There Was Light 2002: The Book of Independence 2005: Hovhannes Shiraz: A Documentary 2007: We Love Armenia

Publications Documentary Films of the Armenian Soviet Republic, Berlin, 1990 Armenian Association of Film - Critics and Cinema - Journalists, 1924-1999 Armenians - Author Toros Toranian, Aleppo, Syria, 1998 (Թող Հայաստանը Խոսի)