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Arsinée Khanjian

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Arsinée Khanjian
Արսինե Խանջյան
Khanjian at the Third Golden Apricot Film Festival at Yerevan, Armenia.
Born (1958-09-06) 6 September 1958 (age 66)
Beirut, Lebanon
Citizenship
  • Lebanon
  • Canada
  • Armenia (since 2018)
EducationConcordia University
University of Toronto
Occupation(s)Actress, film producer
Years active1984–present
SpouseAtom Egoyan
Children1

Arsinée Khanjian (Western Armenian: Արսինէ Խանճեան, Eastern Armenian: Արսինե Խանջյան; Arabic: آرسينيه خانجيان; born 6 September 1958) is a Lebanese-Canadian actress and activist. She is widely known for her collaborations with her husband, filmmaker Atom Egoyan. She won the 2003 Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role in Ararat.

Biography

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Early life and education

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Khanjian was born in Beirut in 1958. Her family is part of the Armenian minority of Lebanon. Her grandparents had fled to Lebanon from present-day Turkey in 1915 as refugees from the Armenian genocide.[1] Her paternal grandparents were from Diyarbakır Province in present-day Turkey, originally with the surname Hagopian.[1] According to Khanjian, her paternal grandfather was protected during the genocide by a Kurdish family. He lived under a false Kurdish identity, and at one time was married to a Kurdish woman, before emigrating to Lebanon.[1]

Khanjian was raised trilingual, speaking Armenian at home, Lebanese Arabic with her friends, and French in school.[2][3]

Her family emigrated to Canada when Khanjian was 17 due to the Lebanese Civil War, settling in Montreal.[2] She studied theatre at the Conservatoire Lasalle, and earned a bachelor's degree in French and Spanish at Concordia University.[2] While earning her master's degree in political science at Université de Montréal, she met her future husband Atom Egoyan, who cast her in his debut film Next of Kin.[2] She then moved with Egoyan to Toronto, finishing her degree at the University of Toronto, while working for the Ontario Arts Council.[2]

Acting

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To date, Khanjian has starred in 14 films directed by her husband. She won the Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for his 2002 film Ararat.

Her work for other directors includes French director Olivier Assayas' Irma Vep (1996) and Late August, Early September (1998), and Catherine Breillat's Fat Girl (2001). She had a supporting role in The Cut (2014), directed by Turkish-German filmmaker Fatih Akin. She was nominated for a second Genie Award for playing the title character in the romantic dramedy Sabah (2005). She won a Gemini Award for her performance on the CBC anthology drama Foolish Heart.[2]

Her theatre work has included stage roles in both Canada and France.[2] She starred in the debut production of Palace of the End by the Canadian Stage Company.[4] She wrote, directed, and starred in the play Auction of Souls at the Maxim Gorki Theater in Berlin.[4] She toured France and Japan with a French-language production of Brian Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa.[2]

Khanjian was a jury member for the Cinéfoundation and Short Films sections at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.[5]

Activism

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Khanjian is a civil rights activist and was briefly detained in Armenia in 2016 while protesting human rights abuses.[6]

In 2017, Khanjian, along with Egoyan and Serj Tankian, founded the "Justice Within Armenia" initiative and participated in the parliamentary elections in Armenia as an observer.[7]

Khanjian participated in the 2018 Armenian Revolution, repeatedly speaking at rallies, and making speeches on various platforms.[8][9][10]

Honours

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Khanjian received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.

In 2003, Khanjian was awarded the Order of St. Mesrop Mashtots. The same year, she received the Queen Zabel Medal by the Armenian Apostolic Church in America.

In 2011, Khanjian was awarded the Order for "Services to the Motherland" by the Armenian government.

Personal life

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Khanjian with her husband Atom Egoyan in 2013

Khanjian's husband, Atom Egoyan, credits her for inspiring him to further explore his Armenian roots. The two received Armenian citizenship in 2018.[11] She lives in Toronto with her husband and their son, Arshile.[1]

Filmography

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Film

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Year Title Role Notes
1984 Next of Kin Azah Deryan
1988 Family Viewing Aline
The Box of Sun (La boîte à soleil)
1989 Speaking Parts Lisa
1991 The Adjuster Hera
1992 Chickpeas
1993 Calendar Translator Also co-producer
1994 Exotica Zoe
1996 Irma Vep The American
1997 The Sweet Hereafter Wanda
Bach Cello Suite #4: Sarabande Sarah
1998 Sentimental Education Arthur
Last Night Streetcar Mother
Late August, Early September Lucie
1999 Felicia's Journey Gala
2000 Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys Francine
2001 Fat Girl Mrs. Pingot
2002 Ararat Ani
2005 Sabah Sabah
Where the Truth Lies Publishing Executive
2007 The Lark Farm Armineh
2008 Adoration Sabine
2011 Nobody Else But You Dr. Juliette Geminy
2012 No Man's Zone Narrator (voice)
2014 The Cut Mrs. Nakashian
Atlit Mona
The Captive Diane Grey
2016 Lost in Armenia Tzarkanoush
The Other Side of November Lea/Layla
2017 Last Car Mayor Keele
2019 We Are Gold
Guest of Honour Anna
2025 Door Prize Mayor Henze Post-production

Short films

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Year Title Role Notes
1988 Looking for Nothing
1991 En passant Rima Segment of anthology film Montreal Stories
1995 A Portrait of Arshile Voice
2 rue de la mémoire
1997 Strands Lab Worker
2000 Hokees Anahid
2011 De temps et d'eau
2024 Before They Joined Us

Television

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Year Title Role Notes
1993 Street Legal Rosa Martino Episode: "Truth or Dare"
1994–1995 Side Effects Elaine Chen Main role (12 episodes)
1996 Dinner Along the Amazon Olivia Penney TV short
1997 Ms. Scrooge Cratchit TV film
1998 More Tears Andrea TV series
1999 Foolish Heart Lena TV series
2000 Foreign Objects Maria TV series
2001 Mentors Anaïs Nin Episode: "Experience"
2002 Made in Canada Crystal Episode: "Veronica's Friend"
2005 Slings and Arrows Nadine Perola Episode: "Rarer Monsters"
2006 ReGenesis Eva Ramone Episode: "Our Men in Havana"
2009 The Border Ghayda Hassan Episode: "Broken"
2013 Murder in Passing Mayor 42 episodes
2019 Coroner Muna Khalighi Episode: "All's Well"

Awards and nominations

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  • Chlotrudis Society for Independent Film Chloe Award (2002).
  • Recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal (2002).
  • Queen Zabel Award by the Eastern Prelacy of the Armenian Apostolic Church of America (2003).
  • Sourp Mesrob Mashdotz Award (2003)
  • Durban International Film Festival Winner for Best Actress in Ararat (2003)
  • Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in Ararat (2003).
  • The Crystal Award for Creative Excellence by Women in Film and Television (2005) [12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Arsinée Khanjian". auroraprize.com. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Canadian Film Encyclopedia - Arsinée Khanjian". cfe.tiff.net. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  3. ^ "Arsinée Khanjian". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  4. ^ a b "Soulpepper Theatre - Plays, Concerts & Musicals". www.soulpepper.ca. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  5. ^ "The Jury for the Cinéfondation and Short Films". Cannes Film Festival. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 29 March 2012.
  6. ^ "Canadian actress detained amid chaos in Armenian capital". 27 July 2016.
  7. ^ Peyotto.com. "Serj Tankian and Arsinee Khanjian Signed Justice Within Armenia Statement". en.aravot.am. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  8. ^ "Արսինե Խանջյանը ելույթ ունեցավ Բեռլինում տեղի ունեցող բողոքի եւ համերաշխության ցույցին (տեսանյութ)". Hetq.am (in Armenian). 21 April 2018. Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  9. ^ Technologies, Peyotto. "Այսօր դուք եք, որ հաղթել եք, փոփոխություն բերել և անկախությունն իսկապես դրոշմել Հայաստանում. Արսինե Խանջյան. ՏԵՍԱՆՅՈՒԹ". factor.am (in Armenian). Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  10. ^ Մելքումյան, Հրաչ (21 April 2018). "Արտերկրի հայտնի հայերն արձագանքում են հայաստանյան իրադարձություններին". «Ազատ Եվրոպա/Ազատություն» ռադիոկայան (in Armenian). Retrieved 20 March 2025.
  11. ^ "PM Pashinyan hands Armenian passports to Arsinée Khanjian and Atom Egoyan". Armenpress. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2025.
  12. ^ "Arsinée Khanjian |". Archived from the original on 12 April 2018. Retrieved 11 April 2018.
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