Vodka Lemon

Vodka Lemon
Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Hiner Saleem
Written by	Lei Dinety Pauline Gouzenne Hiner Saleem
Produced by	Fabrice Guez
Starring	Romen Avinian Lala Sarkissian
Edited by	Dora Mantzorou
Distributed by	New Yorker Films
Release date	2003 (2003)
Running time	84 minutes
Countries	France Italy Switzerland Armenia
Languages	Armenian Kurdish Russian French
Budget	$2,0 M

Vodka Lemon (Kurdish: Vodka Lîmon, Armenian: Վոդկա լիմոն, Russian: Водка Лимон) is a 2003 internationally co-produced comedy-drama film directed and co-written by the Iraqi–Kurdish director Huner Saleem.

Plot

The film is set in a Yazidi village in Armenia, still suffering economically from the Soviet Union's collapse. Hamo, a widower with three sons, visits his wife's grave every day. In the graveyard, he meets Nina, a widow who works at a local roadside stand called Vodka Lemon which is about to close down. Both are penniless, yet start an unexpected relationship which revitalises them.

Awards

• San Marco Prize, Best Film Award, 60th Venice International Film Festival, 2003.
• Jury Award, Feature Film/Best Actor, Newport Beach Film Festival, 2004.
• Grand Prize, Jury Prize and Best Photography, Mons International Festival of Love Films, 2004.
• Best Film 2003 nominee – Bangkok Film Festival, 2004

Cast

• Romen Avinian
• Lala Sarkissian
• Gagik Sargsyan
• Ruzan Mesropyan
• Zahal Karielachvili
• Armen Marutyan
• Astrik Avaguian
• Ivan Franěk

Soundtrack

• Tombe la neige by Salvatore Adamo
• Письмо (Pismo / Letter) by Klavdiya Shulzhenko

External links

• Vodka Lemon at IMDb
• Vodka Lemon at Rotten Tomatoes