The Armenian Reporter
April 8, 2006
Editorial
A Genocide Documentary That Will Resonate
A few years ago, when “Images of the Armenian Spirit” aired on PBS,
its producer, Andrew Goldberg, made public his intention of making a
documentary specifically devoted to the Armenian Genocide and launched
a campaign to raise the necessary funds to bring that project to
fruition. At the time, members of the American-Armenian community
questioned the desirability, even the necessity of such a documentary,
given the existence of several devoted to said topic. Some even
doubted Goldberg’s qualifications and/or motives, despite his having
already produced two credible documentaries on the Armenians — the
aforementioned one, and its predecessor, “The Armenians: A Story of
Survival.”
A week or so from now, people in practically all parts of the United
States will be able to judge the merits of “The Armenian Genocide” for
themselves. If the reaction of some hundred persons who previewed the
film this Monday evening at the Tribeca Film Center in New York City
is at all indicative, viewers on the night of April 17 will consider
the end product well worth the time, effort and money spent.
“The Armenian Genocide” is a welcome, innovative contribution to the
genre of Armenian Genocide films. Faced with the daunting task of
compressing a topic of epic dimension into the time frame of just one
hour, Goldberg has managed to create as comprehensive and balanced a
story as possible. He has quite seamlessly pieced together
photographs, film footage, interviews, and commentary, which
complement each other to make the parts into a forceful whole.
What makes “The Armenian Genocide” stand out, in particular, is its
inclusion of remarks from Turks — genocide experts living not only in
the West but also in Turkey, who acknowledge the Genocide as
historical fact; ordinary Turkish citizens, who relate what they
remember from their parents and grandparents, as well as “scholars”
and others who continue to refute the Genocide. It would be an
understatement to say that the latter are much less convincing than
the former.
By watching “The Armenian Genocide,” viewers who were previously
unfamiliar with the topic will learn what happened to the Armenian
people in 1915-1923 and why. They will also learn why the denial of
genocide by subsequent Turkish governments down to the present has
prevented the matter from being relegated to the dustbin of history
and, on the contrary, kept it on the front burner.
Two Cats Productions and Andrew Goldberg, in particular, as well as
Oregon Public Broadcasting, deserve our deep thanks and appreciation
for this noteworthy achievement. So do the individuals whose
contributions made it possible. We are buoyed by the realization that
over 90% of America will have access to “The Armenian Genocide” in the
coming days. However, in order for the Armenian Genocide to become
common knowledge among the vast masses of the population of this
country, “The Armenian Genocide” must be given wider exposure, ideally
by being shown and discussed on the major networks, such as ABC, CBS
and NBC.
Making such exposure a reality should be a cause taken up by our
national organizations. In the meantime, we strongly recommend that
all American Armenians watch “The Armenian Genocide” (even those who
think they know the Genocide story will learn something new). Equally,
and perhaps more importantly, they should likewise inform
non-Armenians in their business, professional and personal circles of
this unique opportunity to learn about this 20th-century catastrophe,
the effects of which are still lingering in the 21st.