I AM NOT ALONE
Feature Documentary
World Premiere: TIFF 2019
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IDA Awards Best Writing (Nominated)
European Film Awards Best Documentary (Shortlist)
TIFF People's Choice Documentary Award
Doc NYC Audience Award
AFI Fest Audience Award
Palm Springs IFF Best of Fest
Big Sky Documentary FF Best Feature Jury Award
Omaha FF Audience Award
Boulder IFF Audience Award + Best Documentary Jury Award
FIFDH Youth Jury Award
Oxford Film Festival Best Foreign Feature Award
RiverRun FF Best Documentary Jury Award
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Official Selection at: CPH DOX, Full Frame, Thessaloniki IFF, Sofia IFF, Hong Kong IFF, HRW London/Toronto/Amsterdam FF, Panama IFF, Cleveland IFF, Budapest IDF, Doc Edge New Zealand, Newport Beach IFF.
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On Easter 2018, a man put on a backpack and went live on Facebook to announce that he was beginning a walk across Armenia. His mission: to inspire a velvet revolution — and topple the corrupt regime that enjoys absolute power in his post-soviet nation. With unprecedented access to key players on all sides, I Am Not Alone tells the miraculous true story of what happens in the next 40 days.
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Reviews & Interviews:
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The Hollywood Reporter (Oscar forecast): "Absolutely outstanding — stranger than fiction and tremendously inspiring.”
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The Hollywood Reporter (Review): "I Am Not Alone is an inspiring portrait of democratic self-determination. Through its lens we witness the awakening of the "sleeping volcano" that Sargsyan warns Parliament about, just days before his government will be dismantled. But it's not so much an explosion as the lifting of a national depression, a shaking off of doubt and despair."
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Scott Feinberg, Awards columnist for THR: "This is the best film I've seen in '20 and could/should be an Oscar contender."
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VICE: "I Am Not Alone is masterfully told; its joyous storytelling, brisk pacing, and dramatic tension implore audiences to share in the victory of Pashinyan and his country. The documentary serves as a hopeful reminder that political change is possible in a time where that message is desperately needed."
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Hammer To Nail: "The magnificent I Am Not Alone is a call to action to all of us, for none of us are alone when we stick together. It’s a comforting thought in these perilous times.”
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Niklas Engstrom, head programmer of CPH: DOX: ""In a time of social distancing, I AM NOT ALONE is one of the most inspiring films I have seen in a long time about what people can achieve when standing together. A must see documentary (with an amazing story that is bound to get a Hollywood remake, even though it will never beat this one, the real thing!)"
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Chris Hewitt, Minneapolis Star Tribune: "Don't mind me. I'm just sitting in front of my computer, bawling, because of the hopeful and inspiring @iamnotalonefilm"
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Thom Powers, head programmer of TIFF Docs: "This galvanizing chronicle of the 2018 Armenian revolution combines gripping front-line reportage with new interviews that describe incidents the cameras could not capture. Hugely informative, briskly paced, and offering a laudable balance of perspectives, I Am Not Alone is a feat of nonfiction storytelling and a must-see for anyone eager to make sense of recent history."
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NONFICS: "Remarkably cohesive...On the strength of Pashinyan’s personality alone, the film would be a compelling watch, but thanks to its impressively detailed outlining of how one man riled an entire nation into revolution over the course of just a few weeks, Hovannisian’s doc is one of narrative skill, historical import and hopeful pride for the future of his country."
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Collider: "If Hollywood released a movie using the events that actually happened in I Am Not Alone, the audience would say the story is too unbelievable to ever actually happen. But it did...”
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Moveable Fest: "I Am Not Alone, the thrilling result of Hovannisian’s quick thinking...stirs passion no matter where you are in the world. [The film] finds clarity in the chaos of how to motivate people to take action in a time when it’s so easy to become cynical about government affairs."
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In The Seats: "Some documentaries play like excellent history books, unfolding in a gripping flow of twists and turns for those unaware of the events...I Am Not Alone is one such documentary, offering a fast-paced account of the 2018 Armenian Revolution."
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The Film Stage: "The available footage is great...The decision to give the opposition a voice so they can offer hindsight is one of the film's strongest traits."
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Billboard Magazine: "The film [has] relevance to U.S. audiences in that it shows the power of the people to affect change -- significant change.
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Cinema-Scope: "A fascinating look at the contemporary structure of power and protest."
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The Hollywood Times: “I Am Not Alone is more than just a documentary, but a riveting journey inside the revolution as it occurred from an on-the-ground perspective.”
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Unseen Films: "A nail biting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat as events twist and turn in ways that are completely unexpected...The truly amazing thing about this film, and which lifts it up to the realm of truly great, is the fact that the filmmakers don’t just interview Nikol Pashinyan, but also former strong man Serzh Sargsyan, as well as the chief of police who sought to end the protests plus many others on all sides. This is a well balanced film where everyone gets to tell their story and we are so much better for it. The result is a stunning film that will make you shout and perhaps even shed a tear."
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Sopamodu: “It’s hard to overestimate the importance of the momentum pictured in the film and the need for the documentary’s broad circulation...“I Am Not Alone” is a film to watch. An invigorating, thoughtful, and masterfully arranged portrait of a man and the movement around him."
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Frameline: "The film is full of these magical moments…it’s just really amazing. Just fabulous.”
Film Inquiry: "What makes this documentary so outstanding is that Garin Hovannisian gains access to the activist leader who began the protest and the government figure he protested against and the police leader stuck in the middle, whilst having a clear perspective on who was on the right side of history."
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RiveRun IFF Jury: "This gripping film reminded us of the power of the best documentary filmmaking: to open our eyes to a story we didn’t know, and present it with artistry and skill....The jury found this film an enlightening and inspiring watch, taking a complex subject and presenting it in an entertaining, tightly edited narrative that shows multiple sides of a complex and urgent story. In the midst of an election year, I Am Not Alone is a potent reminder of the power of the people.”
