By Staff Writer, Narbeh D.

It is very rare for an Armenian to have their name appear in a film since Armenian characters, much less Armenian names, are not common among Steven Spielberg movies. But one did show up during the movie “My Big Fat Armenian Family,” which will be premiering at Glendale High School on July 12 and 18 at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., respectively.

The story is mainly based in Palm Springs where the father, Robert, has decided to take his family on a trip. He drops this bomb on his kids after a hectic struggle with his son Narbeh. The family is to meet a cousin, Arabo, in Palm Springs. But before their departure, Robert is notified of the possibility that Narbeh may not graduate high school.

As for the daughter, Ramela, she is left to endure the embarrassment caused by her parents, whether it be crashing a party or interrupting class to deliver homemade lunch. In addition to these concerns, Ramela has to worry about the fact that her suitor, Orbel, will also be in Palm Springs.

During the trip, Robert tries very hard to bond with both Narbeh and Ramela, but everything falls apart. The presence of Arabo takes Robert’s attention from Narbeh, causing Narbeh to grow uncomfortable with both of them. The main conflict is that Robert must find a way to bond with Narbeh and encourage him to become a better student.

On the other end, Ramela is left with the task of softening her father towards the “gangster” Orbel. As for Robert’s wife, Rima, she is struggling to recover the relationship she once had with her loving and romantic husband.

This huge undertaking unraveled a year ago when director Sevak Ohanian and actor Ajmin Baghramian, both Hoover alumni, devised a plan to create a comedy about a Persian-Armenian family. The ideas kept flowing from the two as they kept adding incidents from their daily lives to the storyline.

Ohanian intends for the movie to appeal to all Armenians, as he hopes to echo his belief that parents and kids need to understand each other much better. The film has also been sent to various film festivals, such as the Armenian Film Festival. Ohanian will determine the future of a sequel after the response to the premiere.

“It all started as fun and games, but eventually we all became passionate about creating the film,” Sevak Ohanian said.

All the characters were based off the average Persian-Armenian family. Robert is the nagging, conservative, uptight, stubborn, and strict father while Rima is the annoying, loud, repetitious, and overprotective mother. Both parents are extremely condescending. The rest of the characters are teenagers, reflecting the spirit of the true Persian-Armenian child, one who makes rash decisions for having been constrained.

The story reflects a well-planned and developed drama. A huge plus for the film was its ability to interlock a variety of different genres such as drama, comedy, and suspense.

Although the cast members did not have any type of formal training in acting, the movie does not disappoint. The performance given by Baghramian was sensational as he handled the roles of both Robert and Rima. Ohanian remembers how he and Baghramian were brainstorming when Baghramian suddenly asked, “Sevak, can you make me into a woman?” From that moment on, Rima’s character came alive.

“We molded the characters from what we saw inside and outside of our families,” Baghramian said. “We really wanted to mix all types of Armenians into the characters.”

The cinematography for the movie brings the story to life. The close-ups allow the audience to build an intimate bond with each character. With various close-ups and camera angles, it feels as though one is part of the movie.

The music is very appropriate and well-selected. Allen G. outdoes himself as he concentrates on powerful piano pieces to convey the gloomy and emotional mood of the scenes and relies on percussions and other sounds to unfold the drama in the storyline.

The cast admitted to having several hectic days of filming since everyone had their own activities, whether it be work, school, or any other obligation. Yet, even in the midst of all the chaos, the crew found themselves in situations where they simply could not stop laughing.

“Through all the filming, we became a big family,” Ohanian said. “We all came together and know that we will never be separated in any way.”

This movie is bound to be a hit with Glendale’s large Armenian community. To draw upon the words of Baghramian, who is frustrated by Narbeh’s apathy towards school and tries to make him understand in any way possible: “I have told you in English and in Armenian, and if I knew Chinese, then I would tell you” how good this film is.