Three Evenings

2014 • 63 minutes

À propos de ce film

Adapted from a short story by his father, independent filmmaker, Arshak Amirbekyan, presents Three Evenings, a film made with an incredibly low budget and a storytelling that will not resort to sex, violence, or suspense. Accompanied by existentialistic music of Eric Sati and Claude Debussy, a simple story will unfold about the complications of loneliness, betrayal, and the compassionate bond between two strangers.

Simon, rather an ordinary Soviet scientist, an ornithologist humbly lives his ordinary Soviet life filled with heart exhausting and well organized solitude. But something promises to change when a strange woman with a drama of her own enters his life.

As they meet for the first time, it turns out that she has been following her husband, who was having an affair with a woman of bad reputation, who happened to be Simon's neighbor and was too frequently having crazy parties at her basement apartment right bellow Simon's home.

For the second time they meet on a cold rainy evening several days later. Simon sees her standing alone and disheartened: she is on watch again, although there is no use in it any more as she confesses. Simon feels he has to invite her in to warm up and have a rest. They talk, they get cordial, and compassion grows into affection as her story begins to unfold, accompanied with the sounds of yet another crazy party which was going on in the basement apartment. And her heartbreak gets even worse as they hear the sounds of the flute, played by her husband and repeatedly interrupted by the wild shouts of drunken guests?

Then few days later she comes to see Simon for the third time...

Notes et avis

In the vein of Kiarostami's "Certified Copy" and Linklater's "Before Sunrise," THREE EVENINGS has characters whom you immediately connect with, even if for just a fleeting moment. Simon is a lonely scientist who meets Anush, a scorned woman on the verge of reigning in on her husband's cheating ways, which incidentally happens to take place in Simon's apartment building. Although he is an honorable man, one might find themselves hoping that Simon will seduce Anush and they will live happily ever after. However, this film is not a fairy tale and what ensues is a beautiful examination of a burgeoning relationship between two lonely people who would have otherwise never met. Although this film takes place in one room, it is worth mentioning that it hardly feels like a talking head flick, partly because of the actors and their portrayal of the beautiful silences in between the dialogue, and partly because of the subtle writing and directing that is nearly invisible to the touch. What's so fascinating about this film is that it doesn't drag on and the filmmaker knows exactly when to end it. This small film with a big heart is just over 60 minutes and well worth the watch.