The inaugural Aurora Prize ceremony that took place in Yerevan, Armenia on April 24, was the culmination of many months of work on behalf of a diverse and global team. The organizers sought to create a new format for this kind of ceremony but faced the difficult task of finding common ground between a variety of artists and stakeholders. “We were able to build our own Tower of Babylon,” jokes the ceremony’s Director Alexander Revzin.
 

The first humanist

A sizable number of humanitarian awards are presented in the world each year, and there is a certain standard for the ceremonies, says Revzin. “As a rule, the event takes place at a large banquet hall. The guests are served dinner and the awards are presented on a small podium in between courses. But our objective was to keep the ceremony from turning into a show business event, and by this I mean that we absolutely had to avoid vulgarity,” he notes. The task was further complicated by the large number of honorary invitees and the special significance of the date: April 24, the Day of Remembrance for the victims of Armenian Genocide. 

The main idea behind the ceremony was born when Revzin first came to Yerevan. “I woke up and saw Ararat from my window, and I just knew that this award ceremony had to take place right here, in Armenia, in Yerevan. Legend has it that Noah had spent a lot of time trying to convince people to change their way of life, because he wanted to save them. In this regard, he is the first humanist who had built a new world. And since Noah’s Arc landed on top of Mount Ararat, Yerevan can rightfully call itself the humanitarian capital of the world,” Revzin explains.

Mount Ararat appeared in the opening scenes of the animated film “Aurora,” directed by Eric Nazarian — the film was shown at the very start of the ceremony. It tells the story of Aurora Mardiganian, who had survived the horrors of the Armenian Genocide, and draws parallels between her tragic experience and the plight of modern-day refugees. It also touched upon those extending a helping hand, just like the Christian missionaries did 100 years ago. The founder and lead singer of the legendary System of a Down band Serj Tankian composed the “Aurora’s Dream” soundtrack specifically for Nazarian’s film.

This is not the first time Eric Nazarian addressed the subject of Genocide in his work: his film “Bolis” is dedicated to descendants of the Genocide survivors. Nazarian and Tankian have been acquainted for a number of years; Eric was the one who directed the music video for Tankian’s song “Occupied Tears.”

“Aurora’s Dream is the result of some of my best compositional efforts in years,” Serj Tankian told Icon vs. Icon. “I’m glad it was for the 100 LIVES initiative and for the wonderful things they’re doing with bringing attention to devastating tragedies and the real heroes that rise to the occasion, especially with their Aurora Prize events.”

Given the fact that Noah’s legend inspired the director, it was not surprising that the ceremony script included several philosophical parables. They were relayed by the ceremony’s hosts: American journalist, editor, and author David Ignatius, and renowned opera singer Hasmik Papian, who also treated the audience to her rendition of Barsegh Kanachyan’s “Lullaby.” “Initially I wanted to invite professional hosts, but it turned out that things could be done differently. I liked what we had very much,” says Revzin.

Hasmik Papian also helped to choose the accompanying music for the ceremony. The National Youth Orchestra of Armenia performed music written by Aram Khachaturian and Avet Tertirian. “At first I was in favor of making this ceremony Armenian, although we had to adhere to international standards. I had a myriad of ideas but everyone told me this isn’t the last ceremony. I especially wanted to present the latest generation of Armenian musicians who had already made a name for themselves. I wanted to bring them all together, but the ceremony’s format didn’t allow it,” Papian explains.

Between the lines

The stage set was decorated with gigantic handwritten pages from Gregory of Narek’s “Book of Lamentations,” representing the culture of medieval Armenia. The Two Suns Ballet performance was also based on this poem. A “People’s Artist of Armenia,” choreographer Rudolf Kharatyan began working on the interpretation of this monumental work 25 years ago, allowing himself plenty of time and opportunity to become immersed in the mystical atmosphere of the poet’s words. The ballet premiered in 2015. “I chose Gregor of Narek because he’s the symbol of eternity and humanism. His philosophy and the esoteric meaning of his work are very important for humanity. There is no chronology in the Two Suns performance, there’s only eternity, and in this eternity the Genocide is just a fragment of our history. We were able to overcome this tragedy, and we continue to move forward,” Kharatyan says. 

The design of the statuette presented to the finalists also addresses the theme of eternity: human figures soaring toward the sky personify humanity’s pursuit of spiritual values and revival. The Artistic Council of the Aurora Prize selected Sculptor Manvel Matevosyan’s work during a competition. 

In the heroes’ footsteps

The short films about finalists of the award, produced by Andrei Loshak and his staff, became a very special part of the ceremony. The distinguished Russian journalist and documentary filmmaker had to leave his post as editor in chief of the Takie Dela website in order to travel to some of the world’s poorest areas.

“We are incredibly focused on the domestic agenda, […] so, when I was offered a chance to make films about the four finalists of the Aurora Prize, I agreed immediately,” Loshak writes in his article for the Kommersant daily. The filming activity was kept under wraps all the way up to April 24, but photos from the trips were regularly published on the project’s Instagram feed.

A token of gratitude 

The inaugural Aurora Prize ceremony concluded with a performance of “Pour toi, Armenie,” a song written by Charles Aznavour and Georges Garvarentz in 1989 – a year after an earthquake left large parts of Armenia in ruins. Back then Aznavour set up a charitable initiative that brought together 90 French stars: Vanessa Paradis, Salvatore Adamo, Jane Birkin, Mireille Mathieu, Marina Vlady, Patricia Kaas, Pierre Richard, Nana Mouskouri and many others. All proceeds from the sale of over a million copies of the recording made as part of the project were sent to the earthquake’s victims. During the Aurora Prize ceremony, the song was performed by opera singer Gevorg Akopian and the Hover Chamber Choir.

“The principal idea of the ceremony was that the people who survived hardships, Genocide and death all around them, lived through all of it and found new strength. They did not lose heart, and today they are ready to help other people. Many nations had given refuge to the Armenian people, and today the Armenians are paying back their debt. This is an example that shows us that people have to remain human and to remember what had come before them. We know how this award should grow, and I can already imagine the ceremony for Aurora Prize 2017,” says Revzin.

The Selection Committee of the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity is calling for nominations for the annual international humanitarian award. The Aurora Prize is seeking personal stories of individuals who have put themselves at personal risk for the sake of others. Nominations are open to the public from now until September 9, 2016 at www.auroraprize.com.

Images: Edgar Barseghyan ©100 LIVES&AuroraPrize