The Restorer 2005
Distributed by Cinema Guild, 115 West 30th Street, Suite 800, New York, NY 10001; 212-685-6242
Produced by Selcuk Oksuzoglu
Directed by Selcuk Oksuzoglu
VHS, color, 40 min.
Sr. High - Adult
Anthropology, American Studies, Biography, Multicultural Studies, Storytelling
Date Entered: 04/21/2006
Reviewed by Brad Eden, Ph.D., Head, Web and Digitization Services, University Libraries, University of Nevada, Las VegasThis film tells the story of Zeron Ayvazian, an antique rug restorer and Turkish-Armenian immigrant living in New York City. The focus is on how modernism and a post 9/11 economy threaten Zeron's traditional craft, passed down from generations in his native Anatolia, and all but forgotten and unused in modern society. The film follows the life of a middle-class immigrant who is unwilling to give up the American Dream, yet struggles to survive day-to-day in America's largest city. A touching and moving documentary, filmed apparently by someone who sympathizes with modern immigrants and their struggles.