Lina Yakubova interview

Lina Yakubova

Documentary Film Maker

Jul 21 2010

Lina Yakubova is an Armenian born Assyrian Documentary Film Maker. Lina's projects include Gates of the East, Assyrians in Armenia and Second Homeland.

For those that don’t know you, tell us who Lina Yakubova is?

Lina Yakubova is an Assyrian born in Armenia-in one of the former Soviet Union Republics. Over these last 6 years after having graduated from the Yerevan State Theatrical Institute Lina has been engaged in documentary film making mostly concerning the history, culture and religion of the Assyrian nation.

Why did you choose to become a documentary film maker?

Honestly I didn’t choose. I started to get involved in documentary film making under certain circumstances. I came to like it and I finally realized that historical documentation is the very sphere where I can really enjoy by doing what I do now, especially if it is related with our history, culture and traditions.

Who/what inspires you?

My professor used to advised me ‘Each person must be connected with his national roots even by means of one and only thin fiber’ This advice became the motto of my career. My perception of his words has been inspiring me all this time. Warm responses and positive emotions of those who watch my documentaries are also a great source of inspiration for me.

You have travelled all over the world to film. What’s your favourite part of the world? Why is it your favourite?

My favorite part on Earth is undoubtedly the East, the crossroad of civilizations, the birthplace of ancient peoples and nations who have come to create what we can never replicate. There is history in the East.

What does Lina like to get up to in her spare time?

Very often I really miss my books as I love reading too much. I can grab a book with works of Sufi and surealists poets and read them over and over or turn over a book with the prominent Renaissance masters’ illustrations. I can simply listen to delightful music of Brahms, Tchaikovsky and so on…

We Assyrians have a history and culture to be proud of that has lasted many thousands of years now. What do you believe is required to keep our culture for many thousands of years to come?

As a person who deeply believes in God, I think nothing happens in our life by chance. It means that it meant to be the way the Almighty disposed.

You have produced several documentaries as well as musical projects. What project/s are you currently working on?

Together with our creative team we’re working on a very imperative and required project now-a Children’s Musical and Educational ABC. As you probably know nothing significant has done for Assyrian children so far. I think this project by no means will change something for better and contribute to preservation of a piece of our national culture.

We all have a favourite Assyrian meal. What’s yours?

My favourite meal is undoubtedly BUSHALA, my nana`s bushala.

What makes you proud to be an Assyrian?

I’m proud of millennia/milleniums of our nation, its civilization and wisdom and depth..

What disappoints you about being an Assyrian?

Nothing actually disappoints me. I treat this question philosophically-‘’We choose our friends, but our relatives are chosen by God’’. In this essence my nation is God-given, and to me there is no need to discuss weather it’s good or bad.

If you had an unlimited budget, what would be your dream project to work on?

I’m already making plans for another 2 projects and I wish for their implementation. The first project is going to be a film-encyclopaedia on the Assyrian (Syriac) manuscripts, culture and traditions. The second is going to be a musical live-action documentary about the wedding rites of the Assyrian people by WWI.

If you could invite 3 people to dinner, who would they be and why did you choose them?

If you mean a feast, as Russians love to call it, I would gladly invite those with whom I could talk about the beautiful-poetry, music, love, a feeling which moves mankind. It would definitely be around positive people, under а romantic light of a lampshade.

Any final words?

I just would like to tell God bless my suffered Assyrian people.

Find information about Lina's documentaries by visiting one of the links below.

Lina Yakubova's Website

Lina Yakubova on Facebook