Mkrtchyan, Levon

Levon Mkrtchyan (Armenian: Լևոն Մկրտչյան; Russian: Левон Гайкович Мкртчян; born February 25, 1953, in Leninakan is an Armenian director, known for his documentary films about Armenian culture and history, such as Davit Anhaght, Charents: Known and Unknown Sides, Jean Garzu, Mesrop Mashtots, My Komitas, And There Was Light, The Book of Independence. He has received the highest award of the Soviet Union, the Lenin Prize. He has earned numerous awards for his documentaries. His last prestigious award was received during the Golden Eagle film festival for his film The Book of Independence, in the Best Documentary category. He studied in the Directing Department of the Yerevan Fine Arts and Theater Institute. In 1978, he released his debut short film The Muses. In 1984, he graduated from the Directing Department of the All-Union State Institute of Cinematography in Moscow. Since 1978, he has shot thirty-three documentaries. He has made a number of films about well known Armenians, including the only film footage of Hovhannes Shiraz, footage of Charles Aznavour visiting Armenia after the 1988 earthquake, as well as the funeral of William Saroyan. He was a close friend and film partner with the Armenian director Sergei Parajanov, and has a rare footage of him, including the last days of his life.