Ladoni

Arthur Aristakisian grew up in Kishinov, the capital of Moldavia. Between 1986 and 1990, he lived among the tramps and beggars of the city: drug addicts, emotionally disturbed, physically handicapped, and blind people. Ladoni is the result of these four years. The black-and-white film follows the beggars in their tough daily lives. Aristakisian has a biblical view of these outcasts, which is particularly expressed by the poetic voice over, intoning philosophic-spiritual reflections of a father who is talking to his unborn (aborted) child. According to Aristakisian, this refers to the direct cause for his film: the confusion that came over him when his girlfriend had an abortion. The analogy to tramps is that they have also been removed from society. At the same time, this makes them into chosen ones. Aristakisian: "It is their salvation that they aren't part of the social order. Christ and his disciples were outcasts, too." (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam)