Embers

With EMBERS Tamara Stepanyans first featurelength documentary the director seeks to honour the memory of her late grandmother whom she was named after Stepanyan visits the elder Tamaras hometown in Armenia where she spends time with her grandmothers circle of friends who discuss their memories of daily life with Tamara bringing to light their ideological and political viewpoints in the process As the conversations progress a dialogue emerges between past and present between the Tamara of today and the Tamara of two generations ago whose life was shaped by her experiences during World War II Despite the absence of the films central subject her presence is deeply felt through her impact on those who survived her Stepanyans mourning the loss of someone close to her heart is acutely apparent here she faces down that sorrow with a bright tribute to a wonderful woman