Day: March 1, 2024
BY MIRA YARDEMIAN
Haigazian University on Thursday organized the Lebanese premiere of the movie “The American Good Samaritans. In attendance was the film’s producer, Manvel Saribekyan, who arrived from Los Angeles, California for the occasion.
The event opened with the welcoming remarks made by the University’s Public Relations Director, Mira Yardemian, who gave an overview of the documentary, the countries and places where the movie was filmed, in addition to the sponsors with whose generation donation this unique project came to fruition.
For his part, University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian shared his reflections on the movie, acknowledging the importance of the extensive research on which it was based, and remembering the narrator of the movie, renowned scholar Dr. Paul Levine who passed away while the movie was still uncompleted. He then presented Mr. Saribekyan with a token of appreciation.
Producer Saribekyan expressed his gratitude to all the organizations and people who were instrumental in the success of his latest production, taking pride in the international prizes that the movie has won.
“The American Good Samaritans” is the producer’s second documentary, the first of which, “The Map of Salvation” had honored the stories of European Missionaries who also saved thousands of Armenian lives during the Armenian Genocide. Haigazian University had also the privilege of premiering it in Lebanon back in 2016.
The filming of “The American Good Samaritans” took place in six different countries, the U.S., Lebanon, Greece, Turkey, and Iran. In America alone, recordings took place at the Library of Congress, Harvard and Princeton Universities, Rockefeller Archive Center, the birthplace of Clara Barton, and several other locations. The crew has also visited the grave of Ambassador Henry Morgenthau in New York.
“The American Good Samaritans” came to fruition, thanks to the main sponsor of the film, The National Cinema Center of Armenia, in addition to the joint support of Armenian-American organizations, namely the Armenian Missionary Association of America (AMAA), the Knights of Vartan, the Mardirossian-Agaragian LCC, Haigazian University, and the Hamazkayin and the Armenian Relief Society chapters of Thessaloniki.
Directed by Ara Mnatsakanyan and produced by Manvel Saribekyan “The American Good Samaritans” has participated in 98 International film festivals and has won 135 prestigious awards.
It is worth noting that Saribekyan’s third film titled the “Golden Chain of Mercy” is centered around the humanitarian aid provided by Australians and New Zealanders to survivors of the 1915 Genocide. The film is already in the post production stage, and soon to be released end of summer 2024.
Mira Yardemian is the Public Relations Director at Haigazian University.
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