First look at Jivan Avetisyan’s latest effort, Revival

The film, led by Armand Assante, promises to offer “an epic exploration of war and the evolution of artificial intelligence”.

Cineuropa gained exclusive updates regarding Jivan Avetisyan’s latest effort, a drama titled Revival. Previously, the Gyumri-born filmmaker helmed over 10 documentaries and shorts, along with three fiction features – Tevanik (2014), The Last Inhabitant (2016), and Gate to Heaven [+] (2019).

Now in post-production, Avetisyan’s latest endeavour was shot in Armenia and Cyprus between 2023 and 2024.)

Revival follows the Chair of Robotics at the University of Marseille, Jean Perbost, in his mid-60s, who mentors young engineer Murat Arakelian. Murat’s AI project, ORCHID, is poised to secure a major investment from Rossun Corporation. But Jean’s hopes are shattered when Murat abandons the project to investigate the mysterious circumstances surrounding his father’s death—secrets his mother had long kept from him.

Travelling to Armenia amidst the outbreak of war and the pandemic, Murat and his girlfriend are caught in the chaos. To survive—and uncover the truth about his past—Murat must rely on his rapidly evolving AI creation. As ORCHID develops self-awareness, it forces Jean to confront a harrowing truth—Rossun’s entanglement in war crimes. Now, Jean stands at a crossroads: protect his university’s legacy or expose the devastating truth uncovered by ORCHID.

“What if artificial intelligence awakened not in machines, but through us? Revival, Jivan Avetisyan’s fourth feature film, is an epic exploration of war and the evolution of artificial intelligence. Set against the backdrop of the 2020 Artsakh War and the global pandemic, it offers a bold and unconventional perspective on AI—not as a robotic entity, but as an awakening of consciousness through organic growth and shared experiences with us,” reads the project’s notes.

“Rather than relying on traditional depictions of AI through machines, the film presents its evolution into self-awareness through a profound, eight-step journey—beginning with ‘to see’ and culminating in ‘revival’ and ‘beginning.’ With its thought-provoking narrative and unique approach, Revival challenges our perceptions of identity, technology, and destiny in a world shaped by conflict and uncertainty.”

The cast is led by Armand Assante, who stars alongside Maia Morgenstern,Heino Ferch, Robin Hairabian, Babken Chobanyan, and Clémence Baudouin. Italy’s Michele Josia is attached as the film’s composer.

“The film’s post-production is focusing on VFX, which plays a key role—especially in bringing to life one of our main characters, an AI system. The concept is being developed with the expertise of Christopher Salter, an international AI specialist based in Switzerland,” revealed Avetisyan.

Revival is staged by Fish Eye Art Cultural Foundation (Armenia), LifeTree Pictures LLC (Armenia), Aikštės Filmai UAB (Lithuania), and Caretta Films (Cyprus). Producing are Avetisyan himself, Kęstutis Drazdauskas, and Constantinos Nikiforou. Adrineh Mirzayan serves as executive producer.

The project will soon be showcased at Vilnius’ Meeting Point, running in the Lithuanian capital from 17-20 March.