On Thurs., May 2, acclaimed filmmaker Eric Nazarian will show his short film “Bolis” (2010) and give a lecture entitled “Shattered Screens: Can Cinema Break Taboos About the Armenian Genocide?” at the National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) in Belmont, the Armenian Weekly reports.
Nazarian’s 20-minute-long film tells the story of an Armenian oud musician returning to Istanbul to find his grandfather’s oud shop and a family heirloom that disappeared during the Armenian Genocide. “Bolis” was the recipient of the Best Short Film Award at the 14th Arpa International Film Festival in 2011. It has screened in numerous film festivals, including in Armenia, Istanbul, Sarajevo, and Dubai.
In 2012, Nazarian wrote and directed “Occupied Tears,” a 3D and 2D animation music video for Serj Tankian about children in war and the Middle East. Nazarian is a fellow of the inaugural cycle of the Fox Writers Intensive at 20th Century Fox Studios and is currently adapting Chris Bohjalian’s critically acclaimed novel The Sandcastle Girls for the big screen.
Eric Nazarian is a screenwriter, filmmaker, and photojournalist. Born in Armenia, he grew up in Los Angeles, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in film production from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts. During his student years, he was a freelance photojournalist covering stories in Southern California and Armenia/Karabagh.
