Vache Tovmasyan on 10 Minutes of Applause at Cannes and His Work in the Film 'Anora'

Actor and comedian Vache Tovmasyan, reflecting on the premiere of the film 'Anora' held in Cannes on May 21 and the subsequent 10 minutes of continuous applause, stated, "I couldn't be happier." Vache shared a small clip from the film screening on Instagram and thanked director Sean Baker for trusting him with the role, saying, "I also want to thank the amazing crew of the film. I am grateful to my family, friends, and everyone who helped and supported me," the actor wrote.

'Anora' is part of Cannes Film Festival's main competition program. The story revolves around the marriage of a young exotic dancer from Brooklyn and the son of a Russian oligarch, which comes under threat when the fiancé's parents travel to New York to force the cancellation of the wedding. Two key characters in the film, Thoros and Garnik, are portrayed by Armenian actors Karen Karagulian and Vache Tovmasyan.

“We come from absolutely different places. I grew up in Yerevan, Armenia, while Karen lived in New York for 35 years, and Yuri, another actor, is a big star from Russia. We were actors with different experiences, but thanks to Sean, we were able to find common ground, and it seemed to work really well. That's how everything came together,” Vache mentioned during the press conference following the film screening.

Karen agreed with his colleague, adding, “Yes, as Vache pointed out, we are quite different. And every time we heard the words, ‘The shoot has started,’ we began to harmonize with each other. After every scene, we also became good friends off-camera. It was truly a success to be alongside such talented people.”

This year, the Cannes Film Festival is being held for the 77th time. It started on May 14 and will run until May 25.