Terry George and Eric Esrailian hold masterclass in Yerevan
Finalists of the Oscar-winning director’s filmmaking challenge honored
September 24, 2017 | by Creative Armenia
From left to right - Garin Hovannisian, Terry George, and Eric Esrailian
Creative Armenia and the Armenian General Benevolent Union (AGBU) hosted this afternoon a multi-media masterclass by Oscar-winning filmmaker Terry George (Hotel Rwanda, The Promise) and producer Eric Esrailian (The Promise, Intent to Destroy). More than 150 guests, including filmmakers, journalists, and Armenia’s diplomatic corps, took part in the two-hour immersive program moderated by Creative Armenia founder Garin Hovannisian and hosted at AGBU Armenia headquarters.
“The Promise isn’t just a movie,” Dr. Esrailian said. “It’s a movement.” And he spoke at length about the film’s educational, social, and political ambitions beyond its running time. The film’s non-profit partners, including AGBU, Human Rights Watch, and Creative Armenia - which was founded in partnership with The Promise - continue to #keepthepromise, as the film’s viral hashtag has suggested. And all returns from the film are going to charity.
Meantime, Mr. George took on many creative questions, discussing his strategies on writing, editing, and filmmaking - and the secret connection between the Armenian and Irish peoples. He also screened several short excerpts from his films The Promise, In the Name of the Father, Hotel Rwanda, using them as an opportunity to discuss both technical and creative decisions that go into making a film.