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As part of the 18th ReA International Animation Film and Comic Art Festival (ReAnimania), Yerevan welcomed one of the prominent figures of European cinema, Serge Avedikian. A French-Armenian actor, director and screenwriter, and a Cannes Film Festival laureate, he has long belonged to two cultural worlds.

NEWS.am STYLE also spoke with the filmmaker to hear his views on the state of Armenian animation, the search for a distinctive artistic language, the prospects for international collaboration, and artificial intelligence — a technology Avedikian is already experimenting with in his work.

“Don't Imitate — Find Your Own Language”

My short films are somewhat different from the animation audiences are used to. They are created using a hand-drawn technique in which the images seem to come to life. They will be screened at the Nairi Cinema as part of the opening of my retrospective at the festival.

I have always been interested in new technologies and in the degree of creative freedom a director should have when working with their team. But the ultimate goal is not simply to create something commercially successful; it is to achieve a truly original artistic result.

Tarkovsky, Parajanov, Pelechian, Malyan, Dovlatyan — each of them developed a language of their own. Today, young filmmakers need to search for their own artistic identity rather than imitate other people's approaches or piece together something derivative. Over the years, I have come to understand just how fundamental this is.

Armenian Animation: Heritage and New Technologies

I cannot help but mention Robert Sahakyants. I knew him, and to me he was one of Armenia's greatest animators. His films, including those inspired by the works of Hovhannes Tumanyan, remain an important part of our cultural heritage.

In my view, contemporary animation has become much more complex. It is closely connected with new technologies and with the ways images are created, drawn and processed. But we need to be careful not to fall into the trap of using technical capabilities superficially.

You can acquire equipment, master the tools and learn how to work with new technologies. But that is not enough. You need to have your own perspective and your own artistic sensibility. What matters is not only what you want to say, but also the form, the aesthetics and the very way in which you express it. Technology must remain a tool, not a substitute for the filmmaker's creative vision.

Why Armenian Cinema Needs to Look Beyond Its Borders

There is one serious problem in Armenia: we practically have no domestic market. Today, all major and ambitious films can be made thanks to international co-productions.

This means we need to write screenplays that explore universal themes. Of course, we can tell stories about what is happening here, about Armenian people and the Armenian character. But the protagonist does not necessarily have to be Armenian. What matters is that the story resonates with audiences in different countries.

The message itself must have universal appeal. This makes it possible to reach a wider audience and opens up opportunities to create truly ambitious film projects.

There is another issue: language. I would like Armenia to become part of the Francophone world, with French playing a more significant role here rather than allowing English to dominate the entire linguistic landscape. French opens up additional opportunities. I understand that Armenia is unlikely to become a Francophone country, but I continue to dream about it.

Artificial Intelligence Must Not Become the Director

I am currently working with artificial intelligence on a new project that I intend to present here.

Artificial intelligence is intelligent, but not in the way humans are. It compares information and tries to find the most appropriate way to respond. But people do not always need to give the most correct answer. They need to respond through emotions and through their own original perceptions.

This means that you must be the one to set the direction for artificial intelligence and explain what kind of result you want. You cannot allow it to dictate what it can offer you.

If you give it complete freedom, everything will look beautiful and flawless. But something human may disappear in the process. That is why you need to know how to control the technology, guide it and make your intentions clear: this is what I don't want, and this is what I do want.

AI will continue to evolve, and we cannot avoid that process. After all, we created it ourselves. Our task now is to master it, rather than allow it to control our imagination and our thinking.

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