One, Two, Three

In the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, we meet a colourful, motley crew of Armenian amateur dancers, all aged 58 to 80.

Most of them have never danced, and never thought they were capable of dancing. Many suffer from severe medical conditions. Over a very short period, they find themselves performing in front of cheering audiences of hundreds.

Many elderly people in Armenia today live in cramped, isolated conditions, with few financial resources and little social life. Many suffer from loneliness and depression. 80-year-old Mikhayil has hoarded so much garbage in his tiny urban flat in the space of the last 15 years that he can barely make it through the front door. Anahit is in her sixties and has lost her husband as well as all of her eight children. She and the others have a lot of trauma and loneliness to overcome. In a time when old age and physical frailty are something society would rather hide away, these performers' clumsy moves show us there is still a lot of life, love, and happiness in these old bones!

One, Two, Three is a bittersweet and optimistic depiction of the trials of old age, with a fantastically eclectic musical score that includes everything from Elvis Presley to traditional Armenian folk songs.

This text is from the Films from the South Festival, where the film had its Scandinavian Premiere.

"The film has an extraordinarily warm message."
–Tue Steen Müller, blogger, film consultant

"These elderly people are here to tell us, that life continues, no matter what happens. So don’t fall into despair, be lively: jump, dance, live and fall in love!!"
–Artsvi Bakhshinyan, jounalist, film critic, artist