November 1, 2003
Contact:
Sara Brenner, HPD Vice Chancellor Mkting. & Comm. (954) 262-1512
Rita Cohl, HPD Asst. Dir. Mkting. & Comm. (954) 262-1595
Jennifer Meriam, Director , Public Affairs (954) 262-5355
NSU Kicks Off Arts & Cultural Series with Film on Pulitzer Prize-winning Author William Saroyan
Dental College Resident Wins Six International Film Festival Awards for Documentary
FORT LAUDERDALE—The award-winning film: Saroyan: The Man The Writer, produced by a Nova Southeastern University (NSU) College of Dental Medicine postgraduate pediatric resident, is the premier event for the Health Professions Division's “Arts & Cultural Series,” benefiting Special Needs Dental Care. The 60-minute film will be shown on Friday, November 21 at 7 p.m. in the Morton and Marie Morris Auditorium at 3200 South University Drive in Davie.
Susie Kalinian, D.M.D., a postgraduate resident in pediatric dentistry, along with her photographer/cinematographer father, Paul Kalinian, created the documentary. The film was produced as a tribute to William Saroyan, the Armenian-American author who dazzled, entertained and uplifted millions of people with hundreds of short stories, plays, novels, memoirs, and essays. Since 1991, the film has played in 58 cities in 22 countries to more than one million people. Directed by Paul Kalinian, and narrated by actor Mike Connors, the movie has won six international film festival awards, including a Gold Award for Best Documentary Film.
Saroyan's writing career took off in 1934 with the publication of The Daring Young Man on the Flying Trapeze, making 26-yearold William Saroyan an overnight literary sensation. My Heart's in the Highlands (1939) was Saroyan's first successful play. Later that year he won the Drama Critic's Award and the Pulitzer Prize for his play, The Time of Your Life.
William Saroyan achieved much of his success and popularity in the thirties, forties, and fifties, publishing over 60 books during his lifetime. His works have been translated into more than two-dozen languages and have sold millions of copies. Especially notable was the Book-of-the-Month Club's choice, The Human Comedy, which later was made into an MGM movie, winning him an Oscar for Best Writing Original Screen Play.
Additionally, Saroyan spoke for Armenians of the world, giving international recognition to his people at a time when they remained dispersed and continued to meet with prejudice and hatred. He brought an understanding to the world about the culture and quality of the Armenian experience in America.
Paul Kalinian's interest in William Saroyan started in Fresno, California in 1976 when, after 12 years of trying to track down and photograph Saroyan, the photographer finally managed to find and convince the camera-shy author to allow him to take his picture. Eventually, the two became friends, having in common their Armenian heritage. After Saroyan died in 1981, Kalinian realized he had some of the only photographs of the author—photos that would eventually become part of a film legacy to the great writer—including a portrait of Saroyan, which appeared on the first U.S. joint U.S.S.R. commemorative postage stamp.
The friendship between the two men also had a lasting effect on Paul Kalinian's family, including his daughter Dr. Susie Kalinian, the film's producer. Dr. Kalinian joined her father in making William Saroyan part of her life's work. After receiving her D.M.D. degree from Tufts University, School of Dental Medicine in Boston, Dr. Kalinian came to NSU-CDM in 2002 to specialize in pediatric dentistry. In addition to being the film's producer, her responsibilities included script research, costume design, make-up, casting, and public relations for the non-profit documentary. Since 1991, Dr. Kalinian has toured with her parents, lecturing on the film during breaks from her dental education.
Dr. Kalinian and her father will be on hand to answer questions after the audience views the film. Moreover, the Kalinians plan to donate the proceeds from the documentary to support Special Needs Dental Care. Tickets range from $10 for NSU students to $25, $50, and $100. The $100 ticket includes a wine and cheese reception in the Chancellor's Dining Room.
For more information about the event, or to RSVP, contact Margie Bell at (954) 262- 7302.
