LOS ANGELES/BOSTON — Excitement has been building steam since the unanimous decision by Armenia to select “Amerikatsi” – written, directed, and starring Michael A. Goorjian – as its official submission to the 96th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. The film has been selling out in theaters since its premiere in Los Angeles on September 6. Now in its third week, it continues to roll out daily into new cities.
“Amerikatsi” is a story of a man named Charlie (Goorjian), who returns to his homeland of Armenia in 1948, decades after fleeing to the U.S. as a child, due to persecution by the Ottoman Empire. What he finds instead is a country crushed under Soviet rule. After being unjustly imprisoned, Charlie falls into despair until he discovers that he can see inside the home of a prison guard from his cell window and his life unexpectedly becomes intertwined. He begins to see that the true spirit of his homeland is alive. Filled with warmth and humor, the film celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the bonds that unite us all.
Goorjian, whose own grandparents fled the Ottoman Empire, is an Emmy Award-winning actor best known for his roles in “Party of Five” and “SLC Punk.” He also wrote and directed the film “Illusion,” in 2004, starring alongside Kirk Douglas.
“Nothing could make me more proud than to represent Armenian Cinema this year and to help shine a light on the massive talent within our small nation,” said Goorjian.
“Amerikatsi” also stars Hovik Keuchkerian (“Money Heist”), Nelli Uvarova, Mikhail Trukhin, Narine Girgoryan, and Jean-Pierre Nshanian, and is produced by Goorjian, R. Patrick Malkassian, Arman Nshanian and Sol Tryon, with executive producers Vartan Barsoumian and Serj Tankian.
