by Sherif Awad
-I was born in Yerevan, Armenia. My mother was chief editor of the Aremnian encyclopedia and my father was an artist. I was eleven years old when I heard by Armenian National Radio that they need child hosts. I called them to get an appointment for the casting then called my mother and asked her to take me there. It was a big contest that I won only to become one of the young hosts of Armenian National Radio. Several years later, I was transferred to appear on the Armenian Public Television, where I work till today…
-I had many role models from Armenian reality, but they’re unknown to you. I used to love and I still love Golden Age of Hollywood: Gregory Peck, Elizabeth Taylor, Italian stars likes Giulietta Masina, Federico Fellini, French stars like Alain Delon, Jean-Paul Belmondo and our Charles Aznavour. I also like very much Sergei Parajanov who is Armenian but is world famous. My most favorite actor of all times is Khoren Abrahamyan. From Russian TV stars, I always admired Vladimir Pozner and Pavel Sheremet. The latter was my teacher but unfortunately was killed in a car-bomb blast three years ago in Kiev.
– To achieve success in a TV career, one should work hard, studying a lot and also to be known abroad is very important. Good experience is everything in this profession. And of course you should have the most important thing which is talent.
-I enjoy working and living in Yerevan, but I think everyone regardless of nation wants to be heard and seen in others countries too. We work for the people and so there is always a little wish to show your product as much people as possible. Achieving worldwide stardom will help me to tell the world about my country and its history, culture and traditions.
-I would lie if I say that I’ve ever faced any gender problems during my journalistic experience but I guess in Armenia there are some professions and companies which prefer male employees to females…
-Armenian art is the unique form of art developed over the last five millennia in which the Armenian people lived on the Armenian Highland. Armenia has a rich artistic history, and contemporary artists from the country are continuing to be innovative in contributing to its evolving and modernizing cultural landscape. There are annual Art fairs, international film and theatre festivals organized in Armenia. My company Public TV of Armenia is one of the best in the region. Yerevan fully lives with cultural life.
-For new working offers I get, first of all, the offer should interest me. Professionalism is very important for me. If these two points are satisfying to me, I’m discussing other conditions.
– I’m a lucky person because I’ve achieved an ideal balance between my working life and private life. It’s due to my organized graphic, my huge sense of responsibility and flexible conditions of my workplace which I adore.
-I’ve just finished the most important project of my career: four series of a documentary film devoted to Armenian priest, musicologist, composer, arranger, singer, and choirmaster, founder of the Armenian national school of music. He is recognized as one of the pioneers of ethnomusicology in the world. He was a very famous musician in Europe, Russia, Asia at the beginning of the twentieth century. We had shootings in 9 different cities of Europe and Asia. In all these cities, Komitas had either worked or studied. Except Armenian experts also international experts speak in this movie. Komitas suffered very much during Armenian Genocide as he was deported with other Armenian intellectuals, 2345 people. Only eight of them survived and among them was Komitas. The last 19 years of his life he spent psychiatric institutions though he was not insane at all. The responsibility was very huge and I’m happy people liked that documentary which is called ARCHIMANDRITE.
