“I am from Artsakh. You know, my roots run deep in Artsakh,” he tells me, without even giving me the chance to utter my first question. As we converse in his downtown Yerevan office over strong Armenian coffee and in between a barrage of phone calls he has to ignore, years on, his focus—and his creative output—continues to be zeroed in on one thing: his beloved, still-unrecognized nation…

If one thing stuck with me during my introduction to director Jivan Avetisyan about a decade ago, it was that in spite of his humble nature, he was very proud of where he was from. Fast forward several years and it seems little has changed.

“If we were to take a moment to count, there are seven or more generations of my family buried in our ancestral village [in Artsakh]. Say what you want… That means something,” he says.



And although he considers himself an Artsakhtsi through and through, it might surprise most that Jivan was actually born in Gyumri—Armenia’s second-largest city—in 1981, following his family’s relocation there. After the devastating earthquake that rattled Gyumri and nearby towns and villages, the Avetisyan clan moved back to their ancestral village, where Jivan spent most of his youth.

Humble beginnings

“My school—Stepanakert’s number nine—had a profound impact on my life. It was different from the other schools,” Jivan says of his cherished elementary school. “The quality of education was great, but that wasn’t all that important to us. Its impact was mostly because it was situated along a forest and the [then mostly Azerbaijani-inhabited] village of Krkzhan. It was a time of war—and whether you like it or not, war impacts your life, your journey,” he explains.



Life during the devastating war that claimed the lives of tens of thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands more was not easy for the Avetisyan family and although he doesn’t delve into details, his blank stare speaks volumes. “I won’t say much about that time, but I will say that it shaped me,” he says.



Just four years after the ceasefire was signed between Armenia, Azerbaijan, and the Republic of Artsakh, Jivan was conscripted into the military for his mandatory service and between 1999 and 2001, he was able to serve his dear Artsakh as a member of the unrecognized state’s army. “[The Army] wasn’t easy, but knowing you are doing it for a greater good, for something that’s bigger than you, makes me look back at those days with a smile on my face,” he explains.

Avetisyan credits his school—Stepanakert’s #9—for having a “profound” impact on him. The school, including all of its classrooms, was renovated by the Hayastan All Armenia Fund in 2018. (Photo: Hayastan All Armenia Fund)

Following his service, Avetisyan made the important decision to take his passion for cinema to the next level and enrolled in the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography (



His plan eventually paid off as Yerkir offered him his first directorial gig—a small segment for TV, which eventually led to more jobs—and ultimately his promotion to chief director at the station. “They seemed to like my work—one gig led to another, until I eventually came to be in charge,” Avetisyan explains, “but it didn’t come easy. I put in my time. Who would have thought—the

security guard—right?” Following his service, Avetisyan made the important decision to take his passion for cinema to the next level and enrolled in the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography ( YSITC ). The move, he says, was “terrifying but also exhilarating and liberating.” Alone for the first time and away from his comfort zone, he was free not to only find himself, but also to chase his passion. While studying, Jivan took a job at the newly founded Television station Yerkir Media as a security guard—he figured he wanted to be “close to the cinematic action,” even if it meant spending hours at his mundane, uninteresting job as the station’s watchman.His plan eventually paid off as Yerkir offered him his first directorial gig—a small segment for TV, which eventually led to more jobs—and ultimately his promotion to chief director at the station. “They seemed to like my work—one gig led to another, until I eventually came to be in charge,” Avetisyan explains, “but it didn’t come easy. I put in my time. Who would have thought—thesecurity guard—right?”



Taking matters into his own hands

After 12 years at Yerkir Media, Jivan decided to establish his own production company, the Fish Eye Art Cultural Foundation, along with his friend and longtime collaborator Masis Baghdasarian. The company has, just recently, wrapped up with its third feature-length film, “Gate to Heaven.” I am from Artsakh. You know, my roots run deep in Artsakh... If we were to take a moment to count, there are seven or more generations of my family buried in our ancestral village. Say what you want… That means something... - Jivan Avetisyan

Jivan’s modesty does not skip a beat as he details his journey to this point. When probed about how he has been able to be so productive and release three films in the last five years (check out the trailers to all three below), the prolific director deflects the praise and instead thanks his supporting cast. “Nothing would be possible without the hard work and dedication of my team,” he says, adding that the word “team” for him goes way beyond his colleagues and production staff. “My family—my wife and three kids; my like-minded friends, my comrades; and the hundreds of folks who have contributed to my film... All of this would be impossible without them.”





For Jivan, the reason to establish his own company and direct films is simple: to create pieces of art, “which represent my homeland; to show the world the real Artsakh.” His full-length feature debut was Only in passing does Avetisyan admit that he has put in no less than 15 hours of work per day for the last 20 years. “You can have the best team in the world, but it would mean nothing without the hard work… That goes without saying,” he explains, looking to the floor as if he feels shame in admitting his toil.For Jivan, the reason to establish his own company and direct films is simple: to create pieces of art, “which represent my homeland; to show the world the real Artsakh.” His full-length feature debut was “Tevanik” in 2014, a joint Armenian-Lithuanian feature, which was made in cooperation with National Cinema Center of Armenia and Lithuanian Artbox Production House.





Following its Yerevan premiere, ''Tevanik'' was screened at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival, where it caught the attention of critics. “The reception was overwhelmingly positive and it seemed as though both film lovers and critics enjoyed the film, which isn’t always the case,” explains Jivan. He wasn’t off. Besides having the honor of being screened in more than 20 countries (and being translated into nine languages along the way), “Tevanik” also amassed an impressive number of awards from competitions across the globe, including Best Screenplay at the “’Tevanik’—like all my films—is the story of Artsakh; about the war, about loss,” the director explains. Following the day in the lives of three children in an Artsakh village during the war, Jivan took famed Armenian writer and director Arnold Aghababov’s short script about the war, into a beautifully shot film about love and sacrifice.Following its Yerevan premiere, ''Tevanik'' was screened at the 67th Cannes International Film Festival, where it caught the attention of critics. “The reception was overwhelmingly positive and it seemed as though both film lovers and critics enjoyed the film, which isn’t always the case,” explains Jivan. He wasn’t off. Besides having the honor of being screened in more than 20 countries (and being translated into nine languages along the way), “Tevanik” also amassed an impressive number of awards from competitions across the globe, including Best Screenplay at the Arpa International Film Festival of Los Angeles; Best Feature Prize in the Armenian Panorama Competition at the Golden Apricot Film Festival; the Audience Choice Award at the Silk Road International Film Festival in Xi’an, China; and Most Original Work in the International Feature Films Competition of the Overlook Film Festival in Rome.