Yervant Gianikian, experimental filmmaker and artist, dies at 84

Yervant Gianikian, the renowned Italian experimental filmmaker, passed away in Milan on July 3, 2026, at the age of 84. He was born in 1942 in Merano to an Armenian family and became known for his expertise in archival film manipulation, frequently partnering with Angela Ricci Lucchi, who died in 2018. Their collaborative works are preserved in institutions such as MoMA New York and the British Film Institute. Gianikian was awarded the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2015 for the Armenia Pavilion and actively participated in the Venice Biennale Cinema from 1976 to 2025. His recent projects included the trilogy "I diari di Angela – Noi due cineasti," while his debut feature, "Dal Polo all'Equatore" (1986), examined colonialism. Other significant films are "Oh! uomo" (2004) and "Pays Barbare" (2013).