original title:
La masseria delle allodole
directed by:
cast:
Paz Vega, Moritz Bleibtreu, Ángela Molina, Alessandro Preziosi, Mohammad Bakri, Tcheky Karyo, Mariano Rigillo, Hristo Shopov, Christo Jivkov, Ubaldo Lo Presti, Yvonne Sciò, Arsinée Khanjian, André Dussollier, Linda Batista, Enrica Maria Modugno, Nicolò Diana, Alessandro Bressanello, Stefan Danailov, Assen Blatechki, Marius Donkin, Itschak Fintzi, Hristo Mitzkov, Elena Rainova, Maria Statulova
screenplay:
cinematography:
editing:
set design:
costume design:
music:
producer:
production:
Ager 3, Rai Cinema, Eagle Pictures, France 2 Cinéma, Istituto Luce, supported by Ministero della Cultura, Nimar Studios, Sagrera Tv, TVE, Flach Film, Canal+, 27 Films Production, Ard Degeto (Paris), supported by Eurimages
distribution:
world sales:
country:
Italy/Bulgaria/Spain/France
year:
2007
film run:
117'
format:
35mm - colour
release date:
23/03/2007
festivals & awards:
The Avakians are a rich Armenian family. Two family members are Aram, a land-owner living in a small town in Turkey, and Assadour, a successful doctor from Venice. The brothers have not seen each other for a long time and decide to meet in Armenia. While Assadour prepares himself for his trip to his native land, the Armenian part of the family starts preparing the old family seat for their visitors from abroad. They set to work painting, joining and repairing, and even construct a tennis court for the Italians. Meanwhile, the political situation has grown more acute. Since coming to power in 1913, the government of Young Turks has made it their goal to create one vast Turkish empire; in 1915, Italy and France enter into an alliance against Turkey and Austria. Assadour is still hoping in vain to be able to travel from Italy to his homeland when all hell breaks loose in Armenia. The Young Turks order the massacre of the Armenian people. Aram and his family are discovered in their hiding place. The men are murdered and the women are forcibly deported. Their march will surely mean their death. However, the Avakian women have a protector – Aram’s daughter, Nunik, falls in love with one of the Turkish officers, who sees to it that Nunik and her family are not subjected to any more suffering. But the women are by no means in safety yet.