By Araxia Terteryan
There are films in the history of cinema that immediately become successes and blockbusters, with millions of viewers seeing and appreciating them the moment they are released. They even win awards but are soon forgotten, giving way to other novelties. There are other films that, when released, do not attract much attention, circulate in some festivals and art house cinemas, and are often missed by the larger audience and critics who favor the more vibrant and popular films. These sleepers become cult films many seasons or years later and are classified in the annals of classics. One such film is Mikayel Dovlatyan’s “Labyrinth,” which depicts a difficult and transitory period in the history of Armenia.
“Labyrinth” is a film with prophetic qualities. Although made a long time ago, and premiered at the Berlin Film Festival’s Panorama section in 1995, it has proved to have a specific longevity, qualifying it for entry in the better known cinema collections, and cinematic archives.
The film tells the story of Andreas (played by Serge Avedikian), a man lost in the times in which he lives and marked by the tragic accident that has caused the death of his child. Andreas and his wife (played by Nora Armani) try to give a new sense to their lives, but are unable to conceive again, because of their commitment to the memory of their lost child. The allegory is evident when an entire nation cannot separate itself from the past and give birth to a new future. Andreas’ wife pretends to be pregnant with their new child by wearing a fake prosthetic belly.
The duality in Andreas’ character, even his persona as a double, is another allegory. He seems to be in two different places simultaneously, emphasizing the inner chaos he and his surroundings are experiencing.
In the story, Abel (played by Frounze Dovlatyan) weaves a net of lies and ensnares Andreas, his friend and ward. Abel’s lies unfold as the story progresses, and we realise that the older generation has created an established set of norms that do not correspond to reality.
