Major Armenian Genocide Film Launched at TUMO Center

Producers of the upcoming feature “Three Apples Fell From Heaven,” a drama set against the backdrop of the Armenian Genocide, gathered at Tumo Center for Creative Technologies in Yerevan to introduce awardwinning director Shekhar Kapur who was in the country to scout locations for the film.“This is a challenging project that reveals a shameful chapter in world history,” said Kapur whose movies, including “Elizabeth” and “The Golden Age,” have earned nine Academy Award nominations.

  “I am not one to back down from a challenge and I believe the world is ready to join me in finally examining this tragedy and its far-reaching consequences. My films aspire to put human faces on history and I think that’s what make them relevant. That’s what I hope to do in depicting the Armenian Genocide.”

The Tumo Center event was held to welcome the production team to Armenia where they hope to do some of the filming. "Three Apples Fell from Heaven" is based on Micheline Aharonian Marcom’s award-winning novel of heroism and heartbreak set against the savage backdrop of the Ottoman purge of its Armenian population during the years 1914-1917. The film’s executive producer, Vahe Yacoubian, introduced author Marcom, along with producer/actress Sona Tatoyan and her husband, Oscar-nominated screenwriter José Rivera (The Motorcycle Diaries) who has adapted

Marcom’s novel for the screen. They were joined on the podium by the film's French producer, Edgard Tenembaum, and Turkish co-producer, Cigdem Mater.

“I cannot express my joy in working with Shekhar Kapur on this project," says Tatoyan. "José and I just spent a week with him in Yerevan working on the script and location scouting. I'd read that he is a director who works at the intersection of art, myth and activism and that is a perfect description for this film." Tatoyan continues, “The film is the first of its kind - an epic historical drama to be filmed in a country with little film infrastructure. “Three Apples” will be the catalyst to creating a world-class film industry in Armenia so it really is an act of activism. The other important thing to note with the film is that it is a co-production with Armenia, France and Turkey. This is obviously historic and challenging in an amazing way. The film is not only a narrative about genocide. It works on several levels. Like the book, it is surrounded by passion and love. We want to share the film with people around the world, with all cultures and people of all faiths. Not only with Armenians, but with all human beings who look at genocide as a universal tragedy.”

"Launching this film in Armenia, surrounded by so many talented artists and internationally recognized filmmakers, was an emotionally charged experience,” adds Yacoubian. “It gave the proper inspirational foundation for making a film that will commemorate the Armenian Genocide and help pave the way for a peaceful and harmonious future for humanity."

Following the presentation, the film's co-producer, Alex Kalognomos, hosted a closing reception that allowed guests a closer look at the state-of-the-art Tumo facility, and Kapur continued to share his impressions of being in Armenia for the first time and his deep respect for the historical significance of “Three Apples’" story.

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