Artavazd Pelechian - Menk aka Us (1969)

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Monumental picture exploring the identity and fate of the Armenian nation.

Quote:

"It was during my work on the film Us that I became convinced that my interests were elsewhere, that the very essence and main thrust of montage for me was found less in assembling scenes and more in the possibility of disjoining them, not in their juxtaposition but their separation. It became clear that what interested me above all wasn’t joining two elements of the montage, but rather separating them by inserting a third, fifth, even tenth element between them.

When faced with two important shots, both meaningful, I strive not to bring them together, or contrast them, but rather to create a distance between them. It’s not through the juxtaposition of two shots but by their interaction through the intermediary of numerous links that I manage to express the idea in the best possible way. The expression of meaning then acquires a stronger, deeper impact than by direct collage. Expressiveness becomes more intense and the film’s informative capacity takes on colossal dimensions. It’s this type of editing that I call counterpoint montage."

Artavazd Pelechian