Arby Ovanessian: A Significant Cinematic Presence Followed by a Self-intended Speechlessness

In my paper I will focus on Arby Ovanessian, a distinguished figures in the history of Iranian theatre, his first official cinematic presence, "Cheshmeh" ("la Source"), his noteworthy role in the eloquent Iranian new wave in cinema, and his self-intended cinematic speechlessness in the following years. Arby Ovanessian and Cheshmeh, belong to a revolutionizing era in Iranian film history formed in the late 60's and 70's. This prominent movement was launched, shaped and empowered by a fast growing number of young film directors, including Ovanessian, who made his debut feature, Cheshmeh, in 1971. Unlike the other film directors in the movement, Ovanessian did not make any other film, and went through a silence cinematic fasting! Many of those filmmakers, such as Dariush Mehrjui, Bahram Beizai, Amir Naderi, and Abbas Kiarostami, continued their careers and today they are significant international figures in cinema. In my paper, I will mostly keep the centre of attention on the occurrence and the absence of Arby Ovanessian in Iranian new wave, and the influences his only film has had. I will verify historical related events as well as some highlighted characteristics of the film "Cheshmeh". On balance, I will analyse various influential elements, tied together, which, all in one, made Cheshmeh an important incident in Iranian film history, and Ovanessian a remarkable figure.

In 1973, already renowned as an avant-garde theatre director, he made his debut feature film, "Cheshmeh", within the Iranian new wave in cinema. The movement continued its escalating path up to the Iranian revolution in 1979, while Ovanessian's presence had been inadequate to only one rather important film. While most of the film directors in the movement were inexperienced but ambitious, he had already made his career in theatre, in related academic area as a university lecturer, and even had tried cinema once by his ambiguously unfinished project, Lady Ahoo's Husband, which caused many worth-mentioning stories, published all over the film magazines in Tehran of those days. The essential question is still remained unanswered. Why Ovanessian's cinematic presence in that prominent era was limited to only one quite notable film followed by a Self-intended Speechlessness?

In my paper I will endeavour to raise the question within an academic argument, rather than finding an answer. Occurrence and the absence of Arby Ovanessian in Iranian cinema, and his Speechlessness will be the main centre of my academic consideration.