{"id":800,"date":"2025-09-16T11:04:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-16T10:04:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/?page_id=800"},"modified":"2026-01-07T19:30:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T18:30:14","slug":"stories","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/stories\/","title":{"rendered":"STORIES"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In Summer 2025, with the support of TAP The Armenia Project<\/a><\/span> I worked for EVN report<\/a><\/span>\u2014the Armenian leading magazine for in-depth analysis, long-form pieces and slow journalism\u2014while freelancing for international newspapers. My background in science let me delve into the tech industry in Yerevan, with Armenia being branded the Silicon Valley of the South Caucasus. My passion for travels drove my reportages from regions in the South. My interest for underground culture brought me in a flea market of Yerevan, whose origin might be lost in Silk Road times.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Trump Peace Deal Faces Reality Check at Global Flashpoint<\/div>
Most days are quiet in Armenia\u2019s sleepy southern province of Syunik. The same cannot be said for the centuries.\nCaught up in battles involving Turks, Russians, Persians, Mongols and Azerbaijanis...\n
<\/br>\nBackground photo: Michele Crestani.<\/div>Continue Reading<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Rewiring Education: How Armenia\u2019s Tech Ecosystem Is Shaping Graduate Programs<\/div>
Armenia\u2019s tech scene is on the rise, but can schools keep up? Michele Crestani looks at how tech firms are teaming up with universities and why bold reforms are needed to give students the skills to thrive in a digital-first economy.\n
<\/br>\nBackground illustration: Amine Shahbazyan.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Frontline Observers: On Patrol with the EU Mission in Armenia<\/div>
Following Azerbaijan\u2019s large-scale attack on Armenia in September 2022, the EU deployed a monitoring mission to prevent further hostilities. The mission operates from a small town, patrolling borders and interacting with civilians. Michele Crestani reports.\n
<\/br>\nBackground illustration: Amine Shahbazyan.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Qrchi Bazaar: Flea Market of Memory and Renewal<\/div>
At Qrchi Bazaar, Yerevan\u2019s gritty weekend flea market, worn objects tell stories of survival, memory and renewal. Once discarded, these items are repurposed and reborn, offering a glimpse into Armenia\u2019s past and present through the chaos of things left behind.\n
<\/br>\nBackground illustration: Amine Shahbazyan.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Il Racconto: Viaggio sulla \u201cTrump route\u201d, la rotta che divide il Caucaso<\/div>
La striscia di terra lunga 40 chilometri a Syunik, nel sud dell\u2019Armenia, \u00e8 al centro delle lotte locali e degli interessi internazionali di America, Russia e Iran. Un racconto tra sospetti, cicatrici e fortificazioni.\n
<\/br>\nBackground photo: Michele Crestani.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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\u201cPeople here are so relaxed that they have no idea what\u2019s coming\u201d: life in Syunik, Armenia's region on everyone\u2019s lips<\/div>
Among the ongoing deals to normalize Armenia-Azerbaijan relations, the recent Washington Summit between President Trump, Prime Minister Pashinyan and President Aliyev on August 8th has spotlighted the southernmost Armenian region. At the core of international trade routes between Asia and Europe, this strip of land has been fearing clashes not only after the events in Nagorno-Karabakh in 2023, but throughout centuries.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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I love cinema. Its stories, when going beyond mere content<\/a><\/span> or audiovisual entertainment<\/a><\/span>, make me fall in a state of contemplative bliss. While studying journalism I took the opportunity to write a few little things about cinema.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Celebrating Cinephilia: How A Young Film Director Strives To Make It Within Independent Cinema<\/div>
Have you ever wondered how a young film director can successfully build a career starting with independent cinema? Matteo Cianci is one such director striving to make it in the industry who lifts the lid on the trials and tribulations aspiring directors can expect when working in short film.\n
<\/br>\nBackground photo: Michele Crestani.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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\u2018If Only I Could Hibernate\u2019 Review: A Warming Story Of Redemption Through Education<\/div>
Set in an impoverished district of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolian director Zoljargal Purevdash\u2019s first feature portrays a young teenager striving for a better future thanks to his talent in physics. Purevdash gently tells the tale of forgotten people in her home neighbourhood, exploring and exposing its socio-ecological issues.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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\u2018L\u2019abbaglio\u2019 Review: It Pulls You In At The Very End<\/div>
L\u2019abbaglio revisits the first steps of the 1860 Garibaldi campaign to reunify Italy. The stories of a Colonel and two boors intertwine in this initially ineffectual, yet finally incisive comedy movie.<\/div>
Read Here<\/div><\/div><\/a><\/div>
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\u2018Io Capitano\u2019 Review: The Highway Through Hell Of African Migrants<\/div>
Inspired by real-life events, \u2018the trip\u2019 by two Senegalese teenagers is a must-see on the never-ending immigration across the Mediterranean Sea. The latest movie by Italian director Matteo Garrone is a faithful transposition of one of the most dramatic European issues over the last two decades.<\/div>
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My published photostories.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Dayana<\/div>
The Eye of Cuba<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Das weltgr\u00f6sste Techno-Fest verl\u00e4uft friedlich \u2013 Stadtpolizei mit ersten Zahlen<\/div>
Das weltgr\u00f6sste Techno-Fest verl\u00e4uft friedlich \u2013 Stadtpolizei mit ersten Zahlen.<\/div>Read Here<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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In Summer 2025, with the support of TAP The Armenia Project I worked for EVN report\u2014the Armenian leading magazine for […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"no-sidebar","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"full-width-container","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"disabled","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"disabled","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-800","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/800","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=800"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/800\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1165,"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/800\/revisions\/1165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/michelecrestani.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=800"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}