ArmInfo.Director of the "Curls of My Grandmother" film Hovhannes Galstyan announced a hunger strike in front of the building of the National Assembly of Armenia, demanding to provide him with the promised means to continue shooting the film.
As the director said in an interview with journalists, the former Minister of Culture Lilit Makunts promised him during a personal meeting to provide a certain part of the funds needed to make the film from the state budget, later, however, she refused her promise. The remaining funds should be received from partners in Bulgaria and Germany in the amount of 200 million drams. " "The new authorities of Armenia speak every day about the need to attract investments and about their efforts on this path. But as soon as there is a real chance, you see what is happening. Due to the fact that the Ministry of Culture refuses its part of the project financing, the Bulgarian and German the partners, in turn, waive their financial obligations, thereby putting the shooting of the film at risk, "the director complained.
He said that he would go to the end and even refuse to protest the water. Among the requirements Galstyan also reformed areas of filmmaking. According to him, 82 million drams are sent from the budget to the field of film production annually, but their lion's share is "eaten up" by the bureaucracy, and only 120 million drams are sent to make films.
"From February 7, I will also give up water. I'll go to the end; I don't see any other solution. I will resort to all radical methods. And the more inhumane power is, the more painful will be the methods of struggle," he said, adding that the hunger strike his colleagues intend to join as well. Head of the Commission on Human Rights and Public Affairs Naira Zohrabyan came out to Galstyan, expressing readiness to assist him. However, she called him to stop the hunger strike, but the director refused Zohrabyan. The MP promised to more thoroughly study the issue and closely monitor the situation.
To note, the Parallels Film Production Company, which is headed by Hovhannes Galstyan, was supposed to make a feature "The Curls of My Grandmother" film. This picture is the first joint project of Bulgaria, Germany and Armenia. The National Cinema Center of Armenia was supposed to allocate 88 million drams (about 183,400 dollars). Of these, 23 million drams were allocated (about $ 47,920). However, in April 2017, the former Minister of Culture of Armenia, Armen Amirian, asked Galstyan from the funds allocated for the production of the film, five million drams (about $ 10,400) to send an Armenian delegation to the Cannes festival. In early 2018, the National Cinema Center of Armenia approved the new Charter and, in violation of the law, annulled the earlier commitment to finance the film.