Bars Media
Encyclopedia
Bars Media Documentary Film Studio was established in 1993 by Vardan Hovhannisyan
, who began his career as a frontline filmmaker covering hotspots in the former Soviet Union.
Bars Media's documentaries have been broadcast on BBC
Storyville, ARTE
, WDR, ITVS
, YLE and on many other international channels. Located in Armenia
, the studio is uniquely positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and is thus able to cover a wide range of stories from the region. It is a dynamic studio, with 12 people who are responsible for all stages of documentary filmmaking, starting from early research all the way through post-production.
Bars Media has had recent global success with the documentary A Story of People in War and Peace
. This multi-award winning film is a co-production between Bars Media, the BBC
, ARTE
, WDR, and YLE. The film follows director Vardan Hovhannisyan
as he seeks out the soldiers with whom he had served on the front lines of the Kharabagh war in the early 1990s, in order to find out what had become of them 12 years later. The film raises ultimate questions about the human costs of war and how it changes one's life forever.
Recently the studio produced the documentary The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia
, an international co-production with NHK, ITVS, YLE, SVT, TVP and TV Estonia. The film tells the story of two of Armenia's most celebrated tightrope dancers, both in their late seventies, who must search for an apprentice to take over this ancient art form, or face having it lost forever.
The studio is now working on the development of a number of documentary series. One is called Hot Archeology, and the first film is about aerial archeology in Afghanistan
. This film is a chance to show another side of Afghanistan, which recently has been an object of interest only due to war and violence. Viewers will learn about the interesting story of that territory, told from above. As the viewers watch, they will feel as if they are right there along with the expedition, discovering the history and culture of Afghanistan.
The second is a series of humorous documentaries, or "donkeymentaries". Each donkeymentary will show a different country where there are fascinating stories of donkeys. The first film of the series is about Lamu Island
in Kenya
, a place with 24,000 people, 6,000 donkeys, 2 cars, and a donkey racing champion who has no donkey of his own.
Vardan Hovhannisyan
Vardan Hovhannisyan is an Armenian director and producer.From 1988 to 1991, Vardan Hovhannisyan was a freelance cameraman and covered the hot regions and ethnic conflicts related to the post-Soviet transition for the international news. He was twice captured as a prisoner of war during the...
, who began his career as a frontline filmmaker covering hotspots in the former Soviet Union.
Bars Media's documentaries have been broadcast on BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Storyville, ARTE
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
, WDR, ITVS
ITVS
Independent Television Service is a service in the United States which funds and presents documentaries and dramas on public television, new media projects on the Internet, and the weekly series Independent Lens and Global Voices on PBS....
, YLE and on many other international channels. Located in Armenia
Armenia
Armenia , officially the Republic of Armenia , is a landlocked mountainous country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia...
, the studio is uniquely positioned at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, and is thus able to cover a wide range of stories from the region. It is a dynamic studio, with 12 people who are responsible for all stages of documentary filmmaking, starting from early research all the way through post-production.
Bars Media has had recent global success with the documentary A Story of People in War and Peace
A Story of People in War and Peace
A Story of People in War and Peace is a 2007 Armenian documentary film about Armenian filmmaker Vardan Hovhannisyan personal understanding of the human costs of war...
. This multi-award winning film is a co-production between Bars Media, the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, ARTE
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
, WDR, and YLE. The film follows director Vardan Hovhannisyan
Vardan Hovhannisyan
Vardan Hovhannisyan is an Armenian director and producer.From 1988 to 1991, Vardan Hovhannisyan was a freelance cameraman and covered the hot regions and ethnic conflicts related to the post-Soviet transition for the international news. He was twice captured as a prisoner of war during the...
as he seeks out the soldiers with whom he had served on the front lines of the Kharabagh war in the early 1990s, in order to find out what had become of them 12 years later. The film raises ultimate questions about the human costs of war and how it changes one's life forever.
Recently the studio produced the documentary The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia
The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia
The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia documentary tells the story of Zhora, 78 years-old, and Knyaz, 77 years-old, who were once the most celebrated tightrope dancers in Armenia. Today they are the only existing masters who can keep this ancient art alive against the currents of contemporary society...
, an international co-production with NHK, ITVS, YLE, SVT, TVP and TV Estonia. The film tells the story of two of Armenia's most celebrated tightrope dancers, both in their late seventies, who must search for an apprentice to take over this ancient art form, or face having it lost forever.
The studio is now working on the development of a number of documentary series. One is called Hot Archeology, and the first film is about aerial archeology in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
. This film is a chance to show another side of Afghanistan, which recently has been an object of interest only due to war and violence. Viewers will learn about the interesting story of that territory, told from above. As the viewers watch, they will feel as if they are right there along with the expedition, discovering the history and culture of Afghanistan.
The second is a series of humorous documentaries, or "donkeymentaries". Each donkeymentary will show a different country where there are fascinating stories of donkeys. The first film of the series is about Lamu Island
Lamu Island
Lamu Island is a part of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya.Lamu Old Town, the principal inhabited part of the island, is one of the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa. Built in coral stone and mangrove timber, the town is characterized by the simplicity of structural forms...
in Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, a place with 24,000 people, 6,000 donkeys, 2 cars, and a donkey racing champion who has no donkey of his own.