Frunze Dovlatyan's 1965 film BAREV, YES EM (HELLO, IT'S ME!) will screen at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival under the Cannes Classics section.
BAREV, YES EM screened at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the prestigious Palme d'Or. The film was also awarded the State Prize of Armenia in 1967, and was seen by over 20 million people in the USSR at the time.
BAREV, YES EM is based on Artem Alikhanian's biography, and centers on the famous scientist, who buries himself in his work after the woman he loves dies during the war. The scientist is informed of his sweetheart's death by a young woman, and soon love blossoms between them.
The Cannes Classics section was created in 2004 as a way to "present films in restored versions" and to "pay homage to the fundamental work provided by right-holders, cinematheques, production companies and national archives across the world."
BAREV, YES EM will be presented by National Cinema Center of Armenia (NCCA). The digital restoration is by the NCCA with support by Hayastan All Armenian Fund, conducted by Locomotive Studios, Latvia. The 4K restoration features an original Armenian-Russian mono soundtrack based on the original 35mm camera negative held by Gosfilmofond of Russia, and the director-approved interpositive held at the National Archives of Armenia.
The screening will include Shushanik Mirzakhanyan, Director of the NCCA, Vigen Galstyan, Head of the Film Heritage Department at the NCCA, Roberts Vinovskis, Director of Locomotive Studios in Latvia, and Haykak Arshamyan, Director of Hayastan All Armenian Fund.
The Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to run from May 16 until May 27, 2023.
