Draft:David Babayan (Director)

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David Babayan
Դավիթ Բաբայան
Born	(1966-07-26) July 26, 1966 (age 59) Yerevan, Armenia
Father	Rafayel Babayan (Ռաֆեայել Բաբայան)

David Rafael Babayan

(Armenian: Դավիթ Ռաֆայելի Բաբայան; born July 26, 1966, Yerevan) — Armenian film director, actor, screenwriter, musician, and writer.

Son of artist and director Rafael Babayan.

Creative pseudonym – Dodo.

Biography

In 1988, he graduated from the Yerevan State Institute of Russian and Foreign Languages named after Valery Bryusov.

From 1987 to 1993, he was an actor at the Yerevan State Chamber Theatre.

At the International Theatre Festival in Nantes, he received the “For Intelligence” Award.

In 1988, together with artist Eduard Hakobyan, he organized the first surrealist exhibition in Armenia, combining painting and poetry.

From 1993 to 1995, he worked as a host (together with Georgy Amiraghyan) and co-director of the TV show “Cabaret — All Stars” on ORT channel.

From 1993 to 1996, he co-directed the TV programs “Ivanov, Petrov, Sidorov” and “Diplomatic Courier.”

He also worked as creative manager for the newspapers “Field of Wonders for Children” and “Intercont.”

In 1992, together with Artur Satyan and Alexander Agayan, he founded the jazz band “Art-Dodo Trio.”

In the same year, he recorded a duet with Armen Hyusnunts for a documentary film.

From 1998 to 2014, he served as chief director of Sharm Holding.

He is a laureate of numerous awards for films, animated films, television projects, and music videos.

David Babayan’s creative range spans from art-house cinema and experimental video art to commercial advertising and stage shows.

His directorial style is marked by scale, fusion of genres, technical innovation, and precise dramaturgy.

His work combines surrealism, magical realism, poetic dystopia, steampunk, and cyberpunk aesthetics.

He has directed over 200 commercials.

Since 2023, he has been a member of the Armenian Film Academy.^[1][2][3]

Music Videos

• “Berd Par” — Award at the Midnight Circus International Festival of Television Programs (European Broadcasting Union)
• Forsh – “That’s How We Live” — Best Music Video of the Year
• “Hello, Country” — Best Music Video of the Year
• “Red, Blue, Orange” — Best Music Video of the Year (Armenian Music Awards, USA)
• Alla Levonyan – “Go and Fight” — Nomination: Best Music Video of the Year
• “Djan, Djan” — Best Eurovision Music Video (online voting)
• Arto Tunçboyacıyan – “Ararat” — Best Directing Award (Armenian Music Awards, USA)
• Inga and Anush Arshakyans – “Aprelu April” — Prize at Armenia Awards 2016, Moscow
• “Gutan”
• “Msho Gorani” featuring Jivan Gasparyan
• “We and Our Mountains”
• “The Nearsighted Blond”

Filmography ^[4]

Animated Films

• “Jazz. Fool Around”
• “Kafka’s Dream” — Winner of the National Film Academy “Anahit” Award for Best Animated Film; Grand Prix at KAAFILM Festival (Milan); Best Animated Film at Pomegranate Film Festival 2024 (Toronto); Special Mention of the professional jury at the 21st Francophone Film Festival “Palmarès”; Award of the Directors Guild of Armenia; Official selection of the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (Festival international du film d’animation d’Annecy).^[5][6][7]
• “Happy Bluesday” — Best Animated Film at the Golden Arch Festival (Confederation of Filmmakers)

Films

• “Sheko” (short film)
• “Mafia” (short film)
• “Malkhas” (documentary)
• “In the Octave of 55 Notes” (documentary)
• “Leon Tutunjyan” (mockumentary)
• “Kostan Zaryan. The Stranger” (mockumentary)
• “The Mysterious Path of Faith: The Story of Armenian Christianity” — 12-part documentary series
• “Berenice” (in production)

Acting Roles

• “Seven Days Deadline” — (Apostle)
• “Our Yard 1” — (Artist Dodo)
• “Our Yard 2” — (Artist Dodo)
• “9.1.6” — (The Stranger)

Voice Acting and Dubbing

• “Where Have You Been, Man”
• “Symphony of Silence”
• “Superbook”
• “Komitas”
• “Tavern” — animated
• “Train” — animated
• “Anahit” — animated
• “The Adventures of the King (Olympicos)” — animated
• “Kafka’s Dream” — animated

Stage Projects

• “Erebuni – Yerevan”
• “Yerevan–Moscow Transit”
• “Yerevan–Kyiv Transit”
• “Anna Mailyan. My Komitas”,
• “Hayk and Bel” — ballet (libretto and direction)
• “Aznavour Folk”
• “Aznavour Rock”
• “Dvinzz”

Fashion Shows

• “Seeing Trees Where Others See Poles”
• “Isis Reborn”
• “Infinity”
• “Fashion Jazz Q”
• “Oriflame Fashion Night”

Opera Theatre

Director of video content for the performances “Soma”,“Toulouse-Lautrec”, «Dog and cat”, “Parajanov” ballet at the National Opera and Ballet Theatre of Armenia.

Music

In 2012, released a jazz contemporary album titled “The Fingers by Their Own.”

The album featured:

• Dodo – piano, voice, composer, producer
• Artyom Manukyan – bass, cello
• Arthur Grigoryan – tenor and soprano saxophones
• Arman Jalalyan – drums
• Arthur Soghoyan – guitar
• Vahag Hakobyan – second piano

In 2022, together with David Davtyan, he composed music for the feature film “Chnchik.”

Literature

Author of novels “Requiem for an Encore”, “Stefania and Two Moons”, “Rain over the Town of Jollfalo”, and several poetry collections.

His book “Settlements: The Dictionary of Aron Do’s Poetic Lies” was published by Eksmo Publishing House in 2022.^[8][9]

References

1. "Создатель культовых клипов и проектов: Давид Бабаян".
2. "«Мечта всегда должна идти впереди художника»: интервью с режиссером Давидом Бабаяном". 3 June 2022.
3. "Давид Бабаян: «Когда я вижу логотип с гранатом, мне хочется взяться за пистолет»".
4. "David Babayan (IMDb)". IMDb.
5. "«Люди теперь не стыдятся быть идиотами», – Давид Бабаян о Кафке, человеке, который решил никогда больше не вставать с постели, и многом другом".
6. "David Babayan: "Create a world out of scattered ideas"".
7. "David Babayan".
8. "Поселения. Словарь поэтического вранья Арона До: Давид Бабаян".
9. "Поселения. Словарь поэтического вранья Арона До".