YEREVAN —October 17, marks the 166th birthday of Diana Apcar, a visionary humanitarian, writer, and the world’s first woman to be appointed an honorary consul. Her remarkable life remains a beacon of compassion and moral courage, inspiring creative voices across borders.
To bring Apcar’s extraordinary story to global audiences, Armenian filmmaker Jivan Avetisyan – a member of the European Film Academy, Berlinale Talents 2020, and an international award-winning director from Artsakh – is developing a six-episode mini-series titled “The Stateless Diplomat.” Inspired by Apcar’s life, the series follows a young woman of mixed Japanese and Armenian heritage on a journey of self-discovery that unveils Apcar’s humanitarian legacy and enduring influence.
“Years ago, I came across Diana Apcar’s story; it affected me deeply. I instantly felt that her legacy should be shared with the world, as I feel a personal connection to her mission. Through this series, we want to finally bring her voice to the forefront,” said Jivan Avetisyan, director and creator of the series.
The treatment for the project has been completed, based on family archives of Apcar’s great-granddaughter and scriptwriter Mimi Malayan and the historical research of Dr. Meline Mesropyan. The team is currently in active discussion with an award-winning Japanese scriptwriter to join the project.
Over the past four years, the project has been developed through several prestigious international industry platforms – the Marché du Film at the Cannes Film Festival, one of the world’s leading film markets; the European Film Market (EFM) at the Berlinale; and the MIDPOINT Institute’s Cold Open program, a selective European training and development lab dedicated to nurturing high-quality drama series for the global market. Through these opportunities, the project has evolved into a truly international collaboration uniting Japanese, European, and Canadian producers. Among the project’s key creative team are producer Adrineh Mirzayan and creative consultant Viken Attarian, who bring invaluable experience and vision to the development process.
To further advance the project’s growth and its global vision, an Advisory Board has been established, bringing together Armenian women leaders in academia, business and human rights, who seek to continue Diana Apcar’s legacy of empathy, resilience, and advocacy. The Board includes Houri Berberian (Professor of History and Meghrouni Family Presidential Chair in Armenian Studies, UC Irvine), Anahit Markosian (founder of Nairian skincare & cosmetics), Nvair Beylerian (producer and owner of HYEfamily.com, founder of worldFLATS), Lerna Ekmekcioglu (McMillan-Stewart Associate Professor of History at MIT), Melissa Bilal (Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology, Promise Chair in Armenian Music, Arts, and Culture, Director of the Armenian Music Program, UCLA), Sheila Paylan (International Human Rights Lawyer, Senior Legal Consultant at the United Nations), Tatev Beybutyan (founder of Madam Women’s Union), and Lilya Avagyan (Chair of the Transportation Commission for the City of Glendale).
