Hürriyet, Turkey
Dec 30 2008

Turkish-Armenian film caught up in border problem

ANKARA – While Turkey and Armenia take steps toward normalization, a
documentary by a group of Turkish and Armenian filmmakers gets caught
up dealing with border regulations of both countries. However, the
filmmakers do not give up and shoot their film, holding on to the name
‘Aras documentary,’ now the name of a young Turkish character instead
of the river

The "Aras documentary" project, an attempt to symbolize the shared
values of Turkey and Armenia through a film featuring their shared
river, have been caught up in regulations prohibiting activities
along the shared border marked by the Aras River.

The location of the historical Ani Ruins, planned as an important
setting for the documentary, was also added to a list of highly
sensitive areas that had to be removed from the filmmakers’ original
plans. Despite hurdles deriving from well-known political pretexts
that have kept the two nations apart for over decades, the filmmakers
stuck to the title "Aras documentary," which now is reflected in the
name of a young Turkish fictional character in the film’s renewed
scenario.

After September’s football diplomacy between Ankara and Yerevan that
marked start of a new era, filmmakers from the two nations have come
together to produce a documentary conveying their hope for a continued
thaw in relations. The documentary project, sponsored by the
U.S. embassy in Ankara, the Turkish Armenian Business Development
Council, or TABDC, and the Armenian Marketing Association, was going
to show the transition from winter to summer in the Aras River region
and the melting of frozen waters, symbolizing the ice-breaking efforts
between the two nations.

However, during the second round of preparations in Yerevan last week,
filmmakers were told that shooting in the Aras region was impossible
as it lay in the border security zone and entry was prohibited by both
Turkish and Armenian laws.

"The idea was to use the Aras River as a unifying symbol to remind
people of shared values and similar lifestyles on both sides of the
river. But unfortunately we are faced with the reality that the Aras
River is a very real and thick border that separates people, leaving
no space for communication or interaction," Nergis Ã-ztürk,
board member of TABDC, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic
Review. Therefore our film team had to revise the scenario, she said,
and noted other challenges they have encountered during their stay in
Yerevan.

Ani ruins another red line
Amid big interest from the Armenians, the documentary team held a
press conference that Ã-ztürk said was a test to see how
difficult their task was going to be. The Ani Ruins, the majority of
which are located in the eastern province of Kars, regarded as the
ancient capital by Armenians, was going to be another important
location in the documentary. When the film team was posed questions as
to where the Ani Ruins would be depicted as being located, the
documentary team decided to avoid shooting in historically
controversial areas.

What is left in the scenario as symbolic geography is the Akhdamar
Island about three kilometers from the shore in Lake Van, famous for
an ancient Armenian Church recently restored by Turkey last April as
part of efforts for reconciliation. Akhdamar Island will not only be
the location of the final scene of the documentary, but also inspire
the name of the female character "Tamara."

According to the famous Armenian tale, a princess named Tamar lived on
the island and was in love with a commoner. This boy would swim from
the mainland to the island each night, guided by a light she lit for
him. Her father learned of the boy’s visits and one night as she
waited for her lover to arrive he smashed her light leaving the boy in
the middle of the lake without a guide to indicate which direction to
swim. They say his dying cries of "Akh, Tamar" (Oh, Tamar) can still
be heard at night.

In the documentary, Tamara is a young Armenian architect working on a
dam project to be built on the River Aras. While searching for
information on the Internet she finds a consultancy firm based in
Turkey that offers expertise on similar projects. As Tamara phones the
number available on the Internet, a young man named Aras answers the
call. This is how the film starts, combining a modern love affair with
a historical confrontation between the two disconnected nations. While
Tamara and Aras learn about each other, both also start discovering
the other country, which has been a mystery to them and a no entry
zone. Finally Aras invites Tamara to Turkey for a trip that will end
at Akhdamar Island. The documentary aspect of the film is contained in
interviews and abstracts from historical and current developments.

Yellow bride
The famous folksong "Yellow Bride," claimed by both Turks and
Armenians, is being considered for inclusion in the soundtrack to the
film. "Yellow Bride" was also played at the dinner hosted by Armenian
President Serge Sarkisian during President Abdullah Gül’s
landmark trip to Yerevan on Sept. 6.

Both the filmmakers and the sponsors refrained from making political
statements, taking a firm line on 1915 events and other controversial
topics that have poisoned relations between Turkey and Armenia. The
team said getting involved in the recent debate triggered by the
apology campaign would overshadow their ultimate aim.

"We never get into political discussions. Politicians already do
this. We are the people. We want to do something different, something
that has never been done before," Nergis Ã-ztürk said.