Released in the United States in 2017, Apricot Groves by Pouria Heidary Oureh is, according to IMDB, the most internationally appeared film in the history of Armenian cinema with more than 90 international film festival selections.
Pouria Heidary Oureh graduated from SAE institute of Digital Film in Dubai and advertising from EMU in North Cyprus and he is a member of Cinema Producers Guild of Iran. He is the owner of Three Gardens Film which has produced several successful film projects and has been selected in A graded film festivals around the world such as Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, Toronto, Locarno, Cairo, Montreal, Sundance, and AFI.
Three Gardens Film’s short films Gaze, Exam, and The Role all qualified for Oscars.
The film centers on Aram, an Iranian Armenian man. As a child, he moved to the United States. He now returns to Armenia to propose to his girlfriend. They had been together for five years in the States. His brother meets him at the airport and guides him through the cultural traditions (expectations) that Aram will have to follow when they arrive at his girlfriend’s home.
Here is an abbreviated list of honors the film has won:
- Winner of Best Film from Perth International Queer Film Festival – Austaralia, 2018
- Winner of “Jury Prize” for Best Romance in MED Film Festival – Italy, 2018
- Winner of “Jury Award” for Best Directing 4th Wolves Independent Film Festival – Lithuania, 2017
- Winner of “Golden Frame Award” for best first film in 3rd Lights India International Film Festival, 2017
- Winner of OUT HERE NOW – Kansas City LGBT Film Festival “COURAGE AWARD” Best Feature, 2017
- Winner of Jury Award for Best Feature Film North Carolina Gay + Lesbian Film Festival USA, 2017
- Winner of Jury Award for Best Feature Film CLAM International Solidary Film Festival Spain, 2017
- Winner of Best Feature Film Award in Mifo – Miami Film Festival US, 2017
- Winner of Best of Fest Award in Speechless Film Festival – USA, 2017
Curator’s note:
Tragically, this film was censored by Armenia.
I had the chance to see the film and I wish it was widely distributed. It is gorgeous and poignant. Hopefully, we can build a movement to support its release in the United States at least.
