Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 11am-2pm Eastern / 8am-11am Pacific
Live on Zoom. Registration is free. Meeting ID: 957 4462 8852
In Person: Bentley University Lindsay 30
DISCUSSANTS
NORA MARTIROSYAN, Director
JULIE PARATIAN, Producer
MODERATOR
LAURE ASTOURIAN, Professor of Modern Languages, Bentley University
After viewing Should the Wind Drop, the film's director, Nora Martirosyan, and producer, Julie Paratian, will participate in a discussion about the film, moderated by Laure Astourian, Professor of Modern Languages at Bentley University.
Should the Wind Drop (2020-France/Armenia/Belgium-100 min.)
Delage arrives at an airport. In a remote place, surrounded by vast desolate landscapes, this modern building feels like a mirage, not so much out of place as out of time. The airport is empty though not abandoned. There may be no planes but there are employees ambling about, traffic controllers busying themselves up in the tower and cleaning ladies complaining about their Sisyphean tasks. He will assess whether this “cathedral of an airport,” as it’s described to him, with its showy architectural flourishes that stand in stark contrast to its dusty surroundings, will finally be vetted and approved for operation. Martirosyan often leaves Delage and turns her camera toward Edgar. The small child, who runs around with two plastic jugs in tow, selling cups of water to anyone he meets, is as curious as he is indifferent to the world Delage represents. Edgar sees no trouble in cutting across the airport fields to save himself some travel time, nor does he ever pay attention to the ramshackle gates that are erected precisely to keep the area clear of interlopers (an obvious requirement for a functional airport). Initially, Edgar is proof positive for Delage that the Stepanakert Airport is sure to fall short, more a lofty promise than a working piece of infrastructure. Except, Delage begins to thaw and see this isolated country and the folks around it for who they are and who they wish to become.
Bentley University’s Spring 2022 International Film Series is made possible with generous support from the Department of Global Studies, the Department of English and Media Studies, the Valente Center for the Arts & Sciences, the Bentley Library, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion and the Media and Culture Labs and Studio.
ORGANIZER
International Film Series, Bentley University
CO-SPONSORS
Bentley University Department of English and Media Studies
Bentley University Department of Global Studies
Bentley University Solomon R. Baker Library
Bentley University Media and Culture Labs and Studio.
Bentley University Office of Diversity and Inclusion
Bentley University Valente Center for the Arts & Sciences
National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR)