Vahagn Khachatryan and Aren Malakyan
FLYING COWS
In the chaos of war, a cow gives birth to a calf. As villagers pack their belongings and flee their homes, the calf is sold to cattle traders and begins a journey from Armenia to Iraqi Kurdistan.
SYNOPSIS
This atypical road movie begins with Apo searching for his cow in a village in Nagorno-Karabakh, against the backdrop of the long-standing conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan. As the village empties, families pack belongings, setting fire to homes to prevent them from falling into enemy hands. Amidst the chaos, Apo finds his cow giving birth to a calf, Zemfo — a symbol of renewal amid destruction. During the evacuation, he sells his cows to Kurdish buyers. Mother and calf are separated, marking the start of Zemfo’s journey. The story unfolds through the calf’s sensory perspective as she becomes a commodity in the regional cattle trade, passing through Armenia, Iran, and into Iraqi Kurdistan, where the cows are sold as meat.
DIRECTOR
Vahagn Khachatryan and Aren Malakyan
PRODUCER
Vahagn Khachatryan, Irene Munoz Martin
PRODUCTION COMPANY
Oolik production
COUNTRIES
Armenia, Switzerland
Vahagn Khachatryan
VAHAGN KHACHATRYAN is a film director and producer from Armenia. He co-founded the Yerevan-basedOolik Film Production Company, based in Yerevan. He is a member of the Union of Film Professionals of Armenia and the European Film Academy. His latest film, 5 Dreamers and a Horse, has been showcased at over 50 international film festivals, receiving a nomination for the Doc Alliance Award and winning several prizes.
Aren Malakyan
AREN MALAKYAN was born in 1991. In 2015 he graduated from the Yerevan State Institute of Theatre and Cinematography. His graduation film Girl On The Moon (2014) received the prize of the President of the Republic of Armenia in 2015. Since then Aren has directed the short film Snow (2016) that had its international premiere at Shanghai IFF. In 2022, Aren’s debut documentary, 5 Dreamers and a Horse, premiered at the Vision Du Reel IFF and was nominated for the Doc Alliance award.
Production company profile
Oolik Production is an independent film production company based in Yerevan, Armenia, co-founded in 2018 by filmmakers Vahagn Khachatryan and Aren Malakyan. Specializing in creative documentaries, Oolik is dedicated to exploring nuanced layers of human experience, societal transformation, and cultural identity within Armenia and its neighboring regions. Oolik Production's work is characterized by a commitment to authenticity, emotional depth, and
a keen observational lens. The company's films often explore the intersection of personal narratives with broader socio-political contexts.