Tell us a bit about yourself - all the basics! Where you’re from, where you grew up, interests, hobbies, siblings, causes you’re passionate about, anything else that comes to mind…

So I’m Harutyun Virabyan. I’m 34, and I always lived in Armenia. From a very early age I always loved things that have a lot of small details. I really enjoyed the idea of a puzzle that has a predictable end, and at the same time the idea of lego that can be collected in any way. And using the imagination as a tool became my best passion. From 11 I already found out that imagining stories is something that gives me a huge joy. And I can tell you that from that time the nature of storytelling is a main base of my nature.

How did you become interested in film?

As I said, since I understood that I’m doing great with ideas in my head, I made a choice to be in love with the art of drama.

How did you arrive at the subject of your Close Up project?

The project of SEROZHIK is not mine. Since in this case I'm a man of postproduction I arrived there by call of Lusine.

If you weren’t a filmmaker, what might you be? What did you want to do or be growing up?

I guess I was already 25-26 when I had thoughts about alternatives about my profession, and it came up that I could do something nice if I tried architecture or maybe working in a field of education.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Maybe I would try to tell myself how to be less naive, but since I know that being an abstract thinker from a young age helped me a lot, I guess it would be nice if I could help Harut to be less emotional when it comes to love.

Other than documentaries of course, what’s your favorite film genre and why?

Anyone that truly tries to experiment with the forms of storytelling makes me smile. I’m living with the expectation of being humiliated with unexpected plot twists.

What has influenced your work as a filmmaker the most? A person, an educator, another filmmaker, a film itself, an experience, etc.?

Let me share with you some movies that had very special screenings for me.

My Life to Live (1962) Chungking Express (1994) Black Coal, Thin Ice (2014) Dancer in the Dark (2000) The White Balloon (1995)

If you could have coffee with any filmmaker, living or dead, who would it be and why?

I don’t really like coffee, but let's go with Charlie Kaufman.

Is there an anecdote about your project you’d like to share?

At least some anecdotes, but for them you need to have me as a guest for a cup of coffee.