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STAGE

STAGE is an emotionally charged tale of passion, sacrifice, and the pursuit of artistic excellence, where personal and professional ambitions collide in a web of love, betrayal, and ultimate determination in the cutthroat world of ballet.

  • Hovhannes Galstyan
    Director
  • Hovhannes Galstyan
    Writer
  • Marine Zakaryan
    Writer
  • Hovhannes Galstyan
    Producer
    Bonded Parallels
  • Ani Galstyan
    Producer
  • Armen Greyg
    Producer
  • Adolf Ell Assal
    Producer
    Kanaval. Panfir
  • Laura Clever
    Producer
  • Neigeme Glasgow Maeda
    Producer
    Kanaval
  • Khoren Levonyan
    Key Cast
    "GABRIEL"
  • Lilit Hakobyan
    Key Cast
    "Jeannette"
  • Vivien Bastajyan
    Key Cast
    "Marie"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 34 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 1, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    650,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Armenia, Germany, Luxembourg
  • Country of Filming:
    Armenia
  • Language:
    Armenian, French, German
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, 4K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2:35
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Distribution Information
  • Wady Media
    Distributor
    Country: Luxembourg
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Hovhannes Galstyan

Film director, writer, and producer, was born in Yerevan, Armenia. Graduated from the Cultural department of directing at the ASPU.
Founded PARALLELS FILMPRODUCTION Company in 2005. Galstyan's directorial debut, "BONDED PARALLELS" (Armenia, France, Norway) , premiered at the Moscow IFF in 2019 and later had its EU premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam's Bright Feature Program in 2010.
In 2016 he established "The Center of Industry, Education & Motion Arts" (CINEMA).
In 2019, completed the TV Series “REMISSION”, a coproduction between Public TV Company, German “Clever Production” and Bulgarian “JelFilm”.
In 2024, completed his 2nd long feature “THE BACKSTGAE”, a coproduction with Germany and Luxembourg.
In 2024, Galstyan was elected as chairman of the board of NGO “Panarmenian Federation of Film Producers” | PFFP.

NATIONAL AWARDS: Galstyan was awarded by Gold Medal - the main award of the Ministry of Culture of the Armenia for his contribution to the development of national cinema in 2011, and twice won the HAYAK National Film Award as director in 2012 (Bonded Parallels – Best Debute) and as a producer in 2013 (The Pheasant Hunter – Best Short Film)

Director – Writer - Producer

BONDED PARALLELS (2009) – First Feature
https://youtu.be/h1HnZ6Zs8vM
35mm, 87 minutes, Fuji color, format 1:1/85, Dolby SR, Armenia-France-Norway

REMISSION (2019) - TV SERIES
4K, TV Series 16 Episode (Broadcaster: Publec TV company of Armenia)

STAGE (2024) – Second Feature
100 min, 4K, release 2023, Armenia, Luxembourg, Germany

Producer

THE PHEASANT HUNTER (2012)
4K, 23 minutes,Dolby SR, dir. Marine Zakaryan, Producer: Hovhannes Galstyan

HALF MOON BAY (2014)
4K, 80 minutes, Dolby SR, dir. Marine Zakaryan, Producer: Hovhannes Galstyan

In Production

VERA – Status: Pre-production (2026)
THE LAND – Status: Production (2026)

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Press review
Dominique Ott-Despoix_

How far should one go in the pursuit of art? In the glossy world of the state-supported Yerevan Ballet two stubborn egos collide. Intrigue and sabotage behind the scenes of the State Ballet paint a bleak picture of the culture industry. Is it about making better art or an unequal power struggle?

Gabriel, the Yerevan State Ballet theatre’s artistic director, fires his prima ballerina Nora just four months before a premiere of international significance, an adaptation of Kafka's The Metamorphosis. While Gabriel and his newly appointed prima Jeanette grow closer, Nora plots against the pair. She puts one obstacle after another in Gabriel's path, and soon accusations of embezzlement are made against him. He is confronted by a system which considers him guilty in the absence of any solid evidence. He is in danger of losing everything for the sake of his artistic vision. Jeanette also puts her health and future on the line for the sake of the ballet. The conflict escalates as the premiere approaches, the intricate choreography of which is dramatised by means of arc shots into a dizzying crescendo.