On July 17, 2019, the private premier screening of “Cilicia: The Land of Lions” took place in Cinema Empire, Achrafieh, Beirut.
The screening of the mood reel showcases one of the greatest chapters of the Armenian history in Asia Minor, the Kingdom of Cilicia, during its three-century-old existence (1080-1375), when Armenians resisted enemies, fought for liberation, created a princedom and established a powerful Kingdom. The mood reel is comprised of three parts.
This production has a special significance in Armenian culture as three centuries of history were more than sufficient to leave a lasting mark in the pages of history and the hearts of all Armenians. This project is all about telling the history of the glorious and powerful Kingdom of Cilicia. Due to its historical nature, it is the pioneer in the field of Armenian mood reel production.
This Project was initiated by the Khatchadourian Family of Lebanon and KOHAR to contribute in the preservation and dissemination of the glorious history of the noble Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia.
The mood reel trilogy was produced in accordance with the modern standards of a history genre film production with the use of advanced technologies by Domino Production, a production company based in Armenia. This type of production has not been presented to the Armenian market before.
The first mood reel from the trilogy is an
introduction to the first period of the three-century-old history of Cilicia,
starting from the foundation of a princedom in the 11th century to the rule of
one of the
greatest Armenian royals, King Levon the Roupenid. The main characters of the
first mood reel are
Prince Thoros II and Prince Levon II “Lord of the mountains”, who, after taking
part in the Crusades, proclaimed Cilicia as a Kingdom and was subsequently crowned
as King Levon I.
The second mood reel not only refers to historical facts but also gives an insight into the relationship among the noble family and the conflicts between them. These mainly revolve around the only heir to the Cilician throne, Zabel. With her marriage to Hetoum I, the son of the guardian of the throne, the Roupenid dynasty changed to Hetoumid, named after the new king.
The last mood reel presents the time when Cilicia, as a well-established Kingdom, had numerous cultural and diplomatic relations with Europe. But later, the constant hostile invasions started to gradually weaken the immense power of the Cilician Kingdom. The last of several fierce battles against the superior Mamluk forces was fatal; the Kingdom fell after three centuries of remarkable history. The last scene of the mood reel trilogy is the funeral of King Levon V, the last king of Cilicia, whose gravestone stands in the Basilica of Saint-Denis, France.
“Cilicia: The Land of Lions” mood reel trilogy is the first cinematographic production about the Kingdom of Cilicia which the creators aim to bring to the international film market.