Hamo Beknazaryan, founder of Armenian cinema, would turn 120 today

Today marks the 120^th birth anniversary of Hamo Beknazaryan, the founder of the Armenian cinematography and the national cinematographic art.

The big actor, script writer and film director was born on May 19, 1891 in Yerevan. Beknazaryan's career in cinema began in 1914, when a casual acquaintance offered him a part in a film. Since then, he decided to pursue a career in the cinema art. Between 1914 and 1918, he played about 70 parts, becoming a popular actor in pre-Revolutionary Russian film. In 1920, instead of going to Armenia as he had decided, he went to Tbilisi where he developed a film department for the Georgian Commissioner’s office of Public Education. He shot many films in Tbilisi, including “The Father Murderer” and “Lost Treasures.” In 1925, he shot his first Armenian film and moved to Armenia. In 1933, he shot the first Armenian sound film “Pepo.” In 1941, Beknazarian was awarded the Stalin Prize. Besides feature films he also shot few documentaries.

Hamo Beknazarian died on April 27, 1965 in Moscow.