Opening Night: Arsinée Khanjian’s Armenian Odyssey

In 2018, Canadian-Armenian screen and stage actress Arsinée Khanjian made headlines for her vociferous support of Armenia’s Velvet Revolution. It was to be her last major public appearance until only a few months ago—a long period marked by a life-threatening illness and vicious backlash following the 2020 Artsakh War. Reflecting on this traumatic experience, Khanjian made her return to the stage in the auto-fictional play, “Donation” directed by her creative and life partner Atom Egoyan. In an EVN Report exclusive, the actress breaks her silence on how her relationship to Armenian culture and her art have transformed over these past fateful years.