Director Arpine Simonyan

Vladimir Msryan

Davit Hakobyan and Aram Grigoryan

Stage director, artist Davit Hakobyan and Aram Grigoryan often joke that they are friends since immemorial days; they were fifth graders attending the school of fine arts. Very quickly they got close and are inseparable up to day. Davit considers Aram the first and the biggest critic of his works. Aram, in his turn, is delighted in his friend’s great dedication to art. To both of them, friendship is a huge gift to be cherished.

Father Kyuregh Talyan, Sargis Margaryan

For Father Kyuregh Talyan and engineer-geologist Sargis Margaryan, the highest expression of friendship is the willingness to sacrifice. Sargis Margaryan considers it a big honor to be the friend of Father Kyuregh. He gladly accepted the offer of the priest to wear a suplice at the Divine Liturgy. They both consider this friendship as a gift of providence…

ShavarshVardanyan

After ShavarshVardanyan, camera operator, director, returned from Leningrad, he was hired by “HayFilm” (Armenian Movies). Not long after, the Artsakh movement was started. In 1988-90-ies, from the very first days of Artsakh heroic battle, he took his video camera and went to the front line of battle. At present, owing to him, we have around 1200 hours of documentary materials from the period of war. The camera operator himself tells off-screen about the creation of that exceptional documentary.

Artyom Vardanyan and Mher Melkonyan

Artyom Vardanyan and Mher Melkonyan are friends for 30 years now. Artyom returned to Armenia after living in Netherlands for many years and fulfilled his old-time dream of establishing a zoo. His friendship with Mher, going back as far as their student years, has now turned into a family friendship – Artyom is the Godfather of Mher’s children.

Henri Verneuil

Henri Verneuil (Ashot Malakian) is familiar to Armenian audience by his film “Mayrig (Mother)”. In 2010 his family was in Armenia. Golden Apricot International Film Festival granted him posthumous award for his contribution to cinema. Patrick, son of Henri Verneuil, worked as an assistent in the film. “It was very difficult to work with my father”, - recalls Patrick. “Offscreen” tells about the house of Verneuil-Malakian and creation of the film “Mayrig”, there are exclusive shots from the film used in the TV program.

Vardan Achemian

Renowned theatre worker, director, National Artist of USSR Vardan Achemian contributed greatly to the history of Armenian theatre. Achemian studied in Russia guided by Stanislavski, Nemerovich-Danchenko. However, he returned to Armenia and became one of the founders of Drama Theatre of Leninakan... It is here that he staged his first plays with a splendid and accentuated style so typical for him – “At the Bottom”, “Honorable Beggars”, “Ara the Beautiful”, “Twelfth Night” etc. At the stage of Sundukyan Theatre, the works “Baghdasar Akhbar” and “My Heart is in the Highlands” were distinguished for their lucid artistic and psychological exposures. Students of the grand master share their memories offscreen.
Ruben Gevorgyants, RA National Artist, film director
Nikolay Tsaturyan, RA National Artist, producer
Jean Nshanian, artist
Vardan Achemian, RA Merited Worker of Art, composer
Levon Mutafian, RA Merited Worker of Art, theatre critic

Tariel Hakobyan and Robert Matosyan

The friendship between Robert Matosyan, film critic, and Tariel Hakobyan, sculptor, started from 1960-s, while still being students. The dormitory of students is a unique environment, originating so many friendships to continue thereafter.... Today, Robert Matosyan is the editor-in-chief of "Film" magazine, and Tariel Hakobyan is a professor in the Academy of Fine Arts. Both are keen on transferring their experience and warmth to the younger generation...

Narek Hartunian and Vahan Artsruni

The friendship between composer Vahan Artsruni and Narek Hartunian, founder of Narekatsi Art Union, is a road so simple, selfless, but sometimes full of barriers. A number of creations were born throughout that road, e.g. "Komitas: Ten Revelations", "Mashtots Sacred Pearls" by Vahan Artsruni... The main purpose of the friendship for two artsits is self-knowledge...

Samvel Sevada, Babken Mkhitaryan

Painter Samvel Sevada and Babken Mkhitaryan, Director of Abovyan Musical School, are friends for three decades now, despite their likes and dislikes, and as they say jokingly, their age difference... They have a very useful and quite sustainable habit -- once a year they go somewhere out of the city and share who was 'offended' of what, leave all the negative energy behind and return. The camera of "Two Friends" TV series, this time has followed them...