“I will leave this world in a few hours. We will be shot this afternoon at 15:00. It seems to me that this is an accident, I don’t believe it, but nevertheless I know that I will never see you again”. This is how Misak Manushyan once began his message to his beloved. The large hall of the National Library of Armenia was again crowded. The French Embassy, together with the public organization Filmadaran and the National Library, organized a special film screening. On the screen was the film Red Banner by Frank Cassenti. An accompanying exhibition was dedicated to the reburial of the remains of Misak and Melina Manouchian at the Paris Pantheon, which took place on February 21.

The red flag hung on the walls of occupied France exposed a group of foreign, predominantly communist partisans led by the Armenian Misak Manushyan. 22 of the 23 immigrant partisans fighting for France, captured during the extensive German campaign, were shot at Mont Valérien in 1944. Louis Aragon's poem The Red Signal was written about these events, and Leo Ferré turned into a song. The song was translated into Armenian and performed by Perch Tyurabyan. Before the performance, the audience had an opportunity to listen to it. Leo Ferré's song was also played at the Pantheon in Paris during the reburial of the remains.

The film Red Banner certainly made a huge impression on the audience, as evidenced by the heated discussion that ensued after the screening. Follow the National Library of Armenia Facebook page so as not to miss the joint film screenings of the French Embassy, Filmadaran and the National Library, which have been organized for the third year in a row. The films are shown in French with Armenian and English subtitles. The entrance is free.