Arsinée Khanjian | |
|---|---|
Արսինե Խանջյան | |
 Khanjian at the ThirdGolden Apricot Film Festival atYerevan, Armenia. | |
| Born | (1958-09-06)6 September 1958 (age 67) Beirut, Lebanon |
| Citizenship |
|
| Education | Concordia University University of Toronto |
| Occupations | Actress, film producer |
| Years active | 1984–present |
| Spouse | Atom Egoyan |
| Children | 1 |
Arsinée Khanjian (Western Armenian: Արսինէ Խանճեան,Eastern Armenian: Արսինե Խանջյան;Arabic:آرسينيه خانجيان; born 6 September 1958) is aLebanese-Canadian actress and activist. She is widely known for her collaborations with her husband, filmmakerAtom Egoyan. She won the 2003Genie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for her role inArarat.
Khanjian was born inBeirut in 1958 to anArmenian family. Her grandparents had fled to Lebanon from present-day Turkey in 1915 as refugees from theArmenian genocide.[1] Her paternal grandparents were fromDiyarbakır Province in present-day Turkey, originally with the surname Hagopian.[1] According to Khanjian, her paternal grandfather was protected during the genocide by aKurdish family. He lived under a false Kurdish identity, and at one time was married to a Kurdish woman, before emigrating to Lebanon.[1]
Khanjian was raisedtrilingual, speakingArmenian at home,Lebanese Arabic with her friends, andFrench in school.[2][3]
Her family emigrated to Canada when Khanjian was 17 due to theLebanese Civil War, settling inMontreal.[2] She studied theatre at the Conservatoire Lasalle, and earned a bachelor's degree in French and Spanish atConcordia University.[2] While earning hermaster's degree inpolitical science atUniversité de Montréal, she met her future husbandAtom Egoyan, who cast her in his debut filmNext of Kin.[2] She then moved with Egoyan to Toronto, finishing her degree at theUniversity of Toronto, while working for theOntario Arts Council.[2]
To date, Khanjian has starred in 14 films directed by her husband. She won theGenie Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role for his 2002 filmArarat.
Her work for other directors includes French directorOlivier Assayas'Irma Vep (1996) andLate August, Early September (1998), andCatherine Breillat'sFat Girl (2001). She had a supporting role inThe Cut (2014), directed by Turkish-German filmmakerFatih Akin. She was nominated for a second Genie Award for playing the title character in the romantic dramedySabah (2005). She won aGemini Award for her performance on the CBC anthology dramaFoolish Heart.[2]
Her theatre work has included stage roles in both Canada and France.[2] She starred in the debut production ofPalace of the End by theCanadian Stage Company.[4] She wrote, directed, and starred in the playAuction of Souls at theMaxim Gorki Theater in Berlin.[4] She toured France and Japan with a French-language production ofBrian Friel'sDancing at Lughnasa.[2]
Khanjian was a jury member for the Cinéfoundation and Short Films sections at the2012 Cannes Film Festival.[5]
Khanjian is a civil rights activist and was briefly detained in Armenia in 2016 while protesting human rights abuses.[6]
In 2017, Khanjian, along with Egoyan andSerj Tankian, founded the "Justice Within Armenia" initiative and participated in the parliamentary elections in Armenia as an observer.[7]
Khanjian participated in the2018 Armenian Revolution, repeatedly speaking at rallies, and making speeches on various platforms.[8][9][10]
Khanjian received theQueen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002.
In 2003, Khanjian was awarded theOrder of St. Mesrop Mashtots. The same year, she received theQueen Zabel Medal by theArmenian Apostolic Church in America.
In 2011, Khanjian was awarded theOrder for "Services to the Motherland" by the Armenian government.
Khanjian's husband,Atom Egoyan, credits her for inspiring him to further explore his Armenian roots. The two received Armenian citizenship in 2018.[11] She lives inToronto with her husband and their son, Arshile.[1]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Next of Kin | Azah Deryan | |
| 1988 | Family Viewing | Aline | |
| The Box of Sun (La boîte à soleil) | |||
| 1989 | Speaking Parts | Lisa | |
| 1991 | The Adjuster | Hera | |
| 1992 | Chickpeas | ||
| 1993 | Calendar | Translator | Also co-producer |
| 1994 | Exotica | Zoe | |
| 1996 | Irma Vep | The American | |
| 1997 | The Sweet Hereafter | Wanda | |
| Bach Cello Suite #4: Sarabande | Sarah | ||
| 1998 | Sentimental Education | Arthur | |
| Last Night | Streetcar Mother | ||
| Late August, Early September | Lucie | ||
| 1999 | Felicia's Journey | Gala | |
| 2000 | Code Unknown: Incomplete Tales of Several Journeys | Francine | |
| 2001 | Fat Girl | Mrs. Pingot | |
| 2002 | Ararat | Ani | |
| 2005 | Sabah | Sabah | |
| Where the Truth Lies | Publishing Executive | ||
| 2007 | The Lark Farm | Armineh | |
| 2008 | Adoration | Sabine | |
| 2011 | Nobody Else But You | Dr. Juliette Geminy | |
| 2012 | No Man's Zone | Narrator (voice) | |
| 2014 | The Cut | Mrs. Nakashian | |
| Atlit | Mona | ||
| The Captive | Diane Grey | ||
| 2016 | Lost in Armenia | Tzarkanoush | |
| The Other Side of November | Lea/Layla | ||
| 2017 | Last Car | Mayor Keele | |
| 2019 | We Are Gold | ||
| Guest of Honour | Anna | ||
| 2025 | Door Prize | Mayor Henze | Post-production |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Looking for Nothing | ||
| 1991 | En passant | Rima | Segment of anthology filmMontreal Stories |
| 1995 | A Portrait of Arshile | Voice | |
| 2 rue de la mémoire | |||
| 1997 | Strands | Lab Worker | |
| 2000 | Hokees | Anahid | |
| 2011 | De temps et d'eau | ||
| 2024 | Before They Joined Us |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Street Legal | Rosa Martino | Episode: "Truth or Dare" |
| 1994–1995 | Side Effects | Elaine Chen | Main role (12 episodes) |
| 1996 | Dinner Along the Amazon | Olivia Penney | TV short |
| 1997 | Ms. Scrooge | Cratchit | TV film |
| 1998 | More Tears | Andrea | TV series |
| 1999 | Foolish Heart | Lena | TV series |
| 2000 | Foreign Objects | Maria | TV series |
| 2001 | Mentors | Anaïs Nin | Episode: "Experience" |
| 2002 | Made in Canada | Crystal | Episode: "Veronica's Friend" |
| 2005 | Slings and Arrows | Nadine Perola | Episode: "Rarer Monsters" |
| 2006 | ReGenesis | Eva Ramone | Episode: "Our Men in Havana" |
| 2009 | The Border | Ghayda Hassan | Episode: "Broken" |
| 2013 | Murder in Passing | Mayor | 42 episodes |
| 2019 | Coroner | Muna Khalighi | Episode: "All's Well" |
