National Post (Canada)
June 8, 2007 Friday
National Edition

Genocide plus punks equals bathos

by Vanessa Farquharson, National Post

FILM REVIEW

SCREAMERS

—

This film’s title refers to those who witness or survive a genocide
and are so traumatized by it, they devote their lives to "screaming"
at anyone who will listen — politicians, media, the public — about
the importance of acknowledging and preventing such atrocities.

But the screamers in the film itself, somewhat less metaphorically
speaking, are all the fans who swarm the stage at a System of a Down
concert. The connection here is that all the members of this heavy
metal band are Armenian and make a point of speaking out — or, when
it comes to their lyrics, screaming out — about the tragedy that
befell their grandparents 92 years ago, and the tragedies that
continue today in regions like Darfur and, with the Kurds, in Iraq.

So it becomes an odd sort of hybrid between a rock-documentary and a
depressing history of genocide; think Hard Core Logo meets Ararat.

When director Carla Garapedian, a BBC World News anchor turned
filmmaker and herself of Armenian heritage, focuses on modern
politics, pointing out the so-called genocide jig that politicians
will do in order to avoid the term — hence phrases like "crimes
against humanity" or "a genocidal process" — she sets a tone of
sombre urgency.

As well, the background provided on people such as Talat Pasha, head
of the Young Turks in the early 20th century, and the comprehensive
timeline of events in the Ottoman Empire help ground the film in
context.

But just when audiences start settling down into stats about the
Holocaust, Rwanda, Bosnia and so on, Screamers suddenly cuts to
System frontman Serj Tankian yelling something into his microphone
about breaking down the walls of hypocrisy and how "it’s time to make
the Turkish government pay for their f—in’ crimes!"

And suddenly we’re rocking out alongside hoards of punk kids waving
their black nail-polished hands in the air, snapping pictures with
their cellphone cameras.

Instead of commentary from Pulitzer Prize-winning authors and former
FBI translators, we now get fans stumbling out of the show offering
such erudite sound bites as, "Without System of a Down, no one would
be doing this" (referring, one guesses, to raising awareness about
the Armenian genocide, but perhaps he just meant rocking out).

Or there’s the guy who, when asked what he likes about the band,
replies, "They speak about, like, society and government and stuff."
Or, better yet, the British kid who at least has his diction more
intact and comments succinctly, "I quite like the new song Bring Your
Own Bombs–I was quite impressed by that."

While the band members might have been fine to listen to for a few
minutes, the concert footage is truly jarring, especially next to the
more gruesome images of genocide. It’s a case of genre mashing that
borders on offensive. Had Garapedian spent more time, say, on the
couch with the former FBI translator (and dead ringer for Audrey
Hepburn circa Breakfast at Tiffany’s), and less time on a dingy tour
bus, a considerably more interesting story might have emerged.

Rating 2

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress