The post-war period

In the first post-war years, Armenian cinema faced difficulties, characteristic of all Soviet cinematography of the time. Only three feature films appeared on the screens: «The Second Armenian Cinema Concert» (1946, directed by Barkhudaryan), the screen version of the folk tale «Anahit» (1947) and a comedy about the collective farm life - «The girl of the Ararat valley» (1950), both directed by Beknazaryan.

Preserving the best traditions of national realistic art, director Hayartyan performed a screen version of Shirvanzade’s drama «For honor» in 1956 and in 1960, set the historical epic «The northern rainbow». Gevorkov and Karamyan created an adventure film «Ghosts leave the peaks» (1955) and the adaptation of the novel by P. Abrahams «The path of thunder» (1956). Among the significant works there were the historical and revolutionary films about Kamo - «Personally known» (1958) and «Extraordinary Commission» (1965). The pages of the biography of the legendary leninist-revolutionary, his exploits, that were horrifying the guardians of the tsar regime, were reproduced on the screen brightly and emotionally. In 1974, Gevorkov and Melik-Avagyan staged a film that concludes the trilogy about Kamo – «Kamo's last deed».

At the end of the 1950s, a new generation of directors appeared: Melik-Avagyan, Vagharshyan, Erzinkian, Isahakyan, Sarkisov, Hakobyan. Modern topics were reflected in the films «To whom life is smiling» (1958, director Isahakyan), «About my friend» (director Erzinkian), «Why does the river roar» (directed by Melik-Avagyan), both shot in 1959. Melik-Avagyan also staged a psychological drama «Heart of a mother» (1958).

Among the popular musical films there were «The heart sings» (1956, director Melik-Avagyan, starring Aydinyan) and «First love song» (1958, director Yuri Erzinkian and Layert Vagharshyan). The musical melodrama «First love song», after appearing on the screens, immediately received a wide response and recognition of the audience. Music for the film was a joint work of composers Lazar Saryan and Arno Babajanyan. «First love song» is he first Soviet post-war film in which jazz sounded.

Among the most successful movies of those years was a short comic film «The Golden Bull» (1956, director Hakobyan). With the full-length comedy «Guys of the band» (1960), built on historical-revolutionary material, such directors as Malian and Markaryan debuted. The debut of director Arman Manaryan was also successful with the short film «Tzhvzhik» (1962). «Tzhvzhik» became the thesis work of its director. His brother, Yervand Manaryan, according to the story of the Western Armenian writer Atrpet, wrote the script of the film.

By the beginning of the 1960s, the first attempt to display the Great Patriotic War («Born to Live», 1961, directed by Vagharshyan) in the national cinema art was made. Despite the success, the criticism of those years reproached the creators of many films in schematics and addiction to the stamps as well as staying behind the general level, achieved by the Soviet cinema. There was a need to search for new images and creative solutions.

In 1963, the first Armenian color film appeared – «Way to the Arena», directed by Isahakyan and Malyan. The motion picture is shot distantly based on  clown-mime Leonid Yengibarov’s creative biography motives, with him as the leading role.

In the 1960s, Sergey Paradzhanov's famous films – «Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors» (1964) and «Pomegranate Color» (1968) were created. Two more significant works of this director came out in the 1980s – «The legend of Suram fortress» (1984) and «Ashik Kerib» (1988). «Pomegranate color» is a poetic film parable by Sergey Paradzhanov about the Armenian poet Sayat-Nova, shot at the film studio «Armenfilm». Sofiko Chiaureli played the main role.