VIDEO. We are funding the part of the Mel film that is about the champion, other parts are not funded. Prime Minister

The Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, does not share the dissatisfaction raised regarding the funding of a film about weightlifter Meline (Mel) Daluzhyan.

"Now representatives from different countries are making a film about our champion, they provide 90% of the funding, and they say, 'since it's about your country's champion, let us fund a little bit more,'" Pashinyan said during a protest action held by young people in front of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports.

In response to the complaints from the youth that the film is about the champion’s homosexual life rather than his sports career, Pashinyan reacted: "The person you are talking about is a three-time champion, a person whose honor the Armenian flag has been raised three times, and the national anthem of Armenia has sounded."

One of the young protesters retorted: "What message will future generations receive after watching that film? Meanwhile, funding for films about our kings and the 'Armenian Knight' project is being rejected."

Pashinyan then said that he has personally spoken publicly about the necessity of having a film about Armenian kings, and he detailed the funding for the film regarding Daluzhyan’s biography, stating, "In my understanding, the film is about a person, a champion. We are funding the part of the film that is about the champion; other parts are not funded."

Earlier, it was reported that 20 million drams had been allocated from the state budget for the filming of "Mel," a movie about weightlifter Meline (Mel) Daluzhyan.