The film tells the story of old and lonely people, who at the end of their lives decided to fight against their despair and hopelessness through dance and friendship. “One…two…three, one…two…three, one…two…three.” Armenia’s only elderly dance troupe is practicing for their latest performance. But they are not just learning the steps to a new dance; they are learning that you are never too old to turn your life around. Mikhail (80) collects garbage from streets yet dances… Mariam (58) is just out of mental hospital yet dances… Anahit (64) puts flowers on the graves of her lost eight kids yet dances. They are all ‘The Chosen Ones’, a group of fifteen elderly and lonely people who dance to overcome their hardships and find a sense of meaning and joy in their lives once more.
This film appears to be about a group of lonely people at the end of their lives, plagued by personal tragedies. Their situations look bleak, with meager pensions that allow each one to buy one loaf of bread per day, with no family to turn to for help. This film is about the possibility that at any moment in life, no matter how dark, there is always a chance to turn it all around. Through their performances and new companionship, each one of The Chosen One’s dance troupe members is trying to move forward with newfound hopes of love, wonder and possibilities for the future. Each performance could be their last. Will they let difficult circumstances stop their lives for good, or will they fight for one last piece of happiness?
This film has the potential for its depiction of loneliness among the older population and methods of addressing it and overcoming it to have an impact among its audiences. Loneliness among the elderly is a big problem in Armenia, a society very strongly based on family in older people without family find themselves cut off from their communities. We aim for screenings of One Two Three to inspire and empower the younger Armenian population to care for their elderly neighbors and to create similar projects to connect the older population once again with their community.