#WhyArmenia: Stephen Stepanian
Apr 5, 2017
Urban Living
Dec 21, 2016
BNN Video Review and Visit to Armenia
The crew of 3 op Reis, a travel program on BNN TV in the Netherlands, decided to make Armenia its next destination. With the assistance of the Armenian Development Fund and the Armenian Embassy in the Netherlands, the crew filmed two short movies, one about Yerevan and the other about regions outside of Yerevan.
The documentary about Yerevan shows viewers the most touristic places, such as the Vernissage, the Cascade, the Republic Square, and, of course, the crew couldn’t resist visiting all the cafes that cover the sidewalks of the center of the capital. The short film not only shows Yerevan through the eyes of tourists, but also shows Yerevan through the eyes of locals—for this reason, the crew decided to visit a chess school and an underground pub. During an interview with Olympic champion Tigran Petrosyan, he talks about the importance of chess in Armenia, with schools offering chess as a mandatory course. Later, the presenter also takes the viewers literally to a whole new level—more precisely, to an underground restaurant and cafe. Chris, the presenter of this episode, visits “The Club,” where he has a small conversation with the restaurant’s owner, Hovakim Saghatelyan. “Yerevan has different layers; if you come as a tourist and don’t know what’s going on in the city, you will see the surface of Yerevan. But if you have some guides, you can see a different Yerevan,” explains Saghatelyan.
The other episode, called “Midland Armenia,” shows the rural regions of Armenia. The crew takes a minibus and heads to Lake Sevan, their first stop. Then, they join some locals who are barbecuing next to the lake, who offer them tasty chicken skewers. Next, they meet some Birthright volunteers, Armenians from the diaspora. One of the volunteers, Narbeh Pezeshkian, discusses how this volunteering opportunity brings people from different cultural backgrounds together through the singular cause of helping Armenia. The trip continues to Noravank, where the crew tastes homemade vodka (which they find delicious). The trip ends in the cable car that leads to Tatev, where they visit the monastery. From these two episodes, it’s clear that Yerevan and the rest of Armenia has a lot to offer. How about experiencing it for yourself?
