Armen Papyan MA — Sound Design Portfolio

My Approach to Sound Design, Selected Projects, Techniques: Audio Restoration & Surround Mixing, International Collaborations

Sound isn’t just half the film; it often becomes more than that.
It shapes how we perceive time and space, but more importantly,
it tells the story in its own way.
It reveals what lies outside the frame, which can't be expressed with words or images.
Sound design is structural. It’s emotional.
Sound is the secret agent of the film, who remains low-key yet powerful. It’s essential for the success of any film.
I explore these ideas in more depth in my articles. You’re welcome to dive in.

Armen Papyan Portrait in a mixing room. Film Sound Designer, Armenia, Film Editor

Selected Filmography

Poster of the film Syu

SYU (2025), directed by Hrant Abovyan

Sound Designer, Re-Recording mixer Armen Papyan

Susie and David's family is in a state of tragedy: Their young child drowns in a forest lake. What awaits a young family when they have not only loss but also... secrets?

Poster of the film Manana, Sound Design and Music by Armen Papyan

Manana (2023), directed by Vahan Setoyan (IMDB)

Sound Designer and Composer Armen Papyan

It follows a woman’s journey in search of freedom and peace where nature, religion and self are intertwined.

  • 2024 One Shot International Short Film Festival,
              Best Short Film
Poster of the film Landshaft

Landshaft (2023), directed by Daniel Kötter

Sound Recordings by Armen Papyan

The conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan over the control of Karabakh rumbles on stealthily.

  • 2024 German Film Critics Association Awards,
              Best Documentary Winner
  • 2023 Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival,
              Regional Panorama Nominee
  • 2023 Dokufest International Documentary and Short Film Festival,
              International Dox Award Nominee
  • 2023 Visions du Reel,
              Official Selection, Burning Lights Competition
Poster of film Mel, Sound Design and music by Armen Papyan

Mel (2022), directed by Inna Sahakyan and Paul Cohen

Sound Designer and Composer Armen Papyan

Armenia's most beloved weightlifter becomes the country's biggest shame when he comes out as transgender. It cost Mel his fame, his fortune, his family, and even his homeland. Today, under asylum in the Netherlands, his dream of gender transition is finally within reach, but how much must he sacrifice for it?

  • 2024 Moldox Festival, 
              Official Selection
  • 2023 Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival,
              Special Mention Award
  • 2022 15th Luststreifen Film Festival Basel,
              Official Selection
Poster of the film Prayer, Sound Designer Armen Papyan

Prayer (2025), directed by Sofia Geweiler

Sound Designer Armen Papyan

Abdul, an immigrant techno club worker in Lisbon, tries to stay connected to his wife in labor while juggling a demanding shift and a tense relationship with his father-in-law—all in one chaotic night.

Reverie, A dance film By musician, sound designer Armen Papyan

Reverie (2025), directed by Armen Papyan

Sound Designer Armen Papyan

Awakened by a sudden wind, a dancer moves through fragments of memory, each encounter stirring a new expression in a meditative space where movement becomes memory’s voice.

Poster of the film Syunik, Saghsara, Armen Papyan Director, Editor and sound designer

Syunik (2025), directed by Armen Papyan

Sound Designer Armen Papyan

A meditative portrait of Armenia’s Syunik region, where folk traditions echo through the mountains, and the land holds the history in silence.

Poster of the Film Dragonfly, Sound Design by Armen Papyan

Dragonfly (2024), directed by Arman Ayvazyan and Narek Khachaturyan

Sound Designer Armen Papyan

Dragonfly is a poetic allegory about the struggle between light and darkness, about overcoming death and the rebirth of life.

Devmasa

Devmasa, alternative sound by Armen Papyan

Poster of the film The Mud, Yerevan Armena, Sound Design by Armen Papyan

The Mud (2022), directed by Vahan Grigoryan

Sound Designer Armen Papyan and Erik Seyranyan

The Mud is a dramedy taking place in a village setting. The story revolves around the main character’s wife, who, after returning home to discover her husband’s muddy footprints on the floor and white goose feathers inside, believes that an angel has entered their house. The narrative takes its development and has an unexpected ending.

Poster of Film Shushi Amen, Sound Design by Armen Papyan

Shushi Amen (2022), directed by Mariam Egoryan

Sound Designer Armen Papyan

The film presents the environment and the story behind the creation of the fortress that transformed Shushi into a citadel city. Shushi played a significant role from the first millennium up to the first half of the 18th century, particularly in the consolidation and establishment of Armenian principalities.