PROTEST AGAINST RUSSELL CROWE’S DISTORTION OF HISTORY
From: The Greek Genocide: 1914-1923
To: Greek Genocide
Sent: Mon, Jan 12, 2015 6:43 pm
Subject: PROTEST: Russell Crowe’s new film a distortion of history
Russell Crowe’s new film about Gallipoli, The Water Diviner,
has offended many descendants of genocide survivors – Greeks and
Armenians alike – through its false portrayal of the events during
the period which the film is set. There has been public outrage on
our Facebook page, and for that reason, we’ve drafted a letter which
you may use to voice your opinion. You may address it to whomever you
choose, however we have listed some recommendations at the bottom of
the draft (see below) includingAndrew Anastasios the screenwriter,
and The Rabbitohs Rugby League team which Crowe is shareholder of,
and which is currently chaired by a good friend of Crowe’s, Dr Nick
Pappas. Let’s stand up and be a voice for our ancestors who were
brutally massacred during that period!
Dear
I am writing this letter to express my shock at the false portrayal of
historical events in the Russell Crowe film ‘The Water Diviner’. The
film is presented as being ‘inspired by actual events’, but as a person
whose family has been deeply affected by the genocide perpetrated
by the Ottoman Government during that period (1914-1923), I can say
that the events in the movie are far from the truth. In fact, they
are a gross distortion of it.
In May of 2013, the New South Wales Parliament officially recognised
the mass killing of Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians during that period
as an act of genocide. Similar recognitions have occurred throughout
the world condemning the acts as genocide. Geoffrey Robertson QC has
for years been calling on Turkey to recognize its past, using the term
‘genocide’ to describe the events. Turkey has continuously denied
committing genocide, while the rest of the world has been calling
for recognition.
So how can a film such as The Water Diviner be made? How can a film
show the exact opposite? How can Russell Crowe direct a film in which
he portrays Greeks as satanic, while he portrays the Turks as victims?
Just two weeks before the ANZAC landings, some 32,000 indigenous Greeks
living in the Gallipoli peninsula were forcibly deported by the Ottoman
Turkish government, and many died of harsh conditions. Other Greeks
of Asia Minor such as those from Livissi (today Kayakoy) were also
victims of the genocidal campaign during that period. Ironically,
the final scenes in the movie were shot at the current ghost town of
Livissi, Turkey.
In 1919, the Greek Army was sent to the western Ottoman port city
of Smyrna (Izmir) via a British mandate, to protect the remaining
Christian population in Anatolia from further massacre. When Greek
forces landed, the Christians saw them as liberators. During and
after WW1, the international media widely reported Turkish massacres
against Greeks and Armenians. The methods used included mass killings,
death marches, rape, forced conversion to Islam and confiscation of
property amongst others.
On April 24, 1915, just one day prior to the ANZAC landing at
Gallipoli, the Ottoman government rounded up some 240 Armenian
intellectuals and most were killed. By 1923, over half of the Armenian
population (1.5 million people) was massacred, some 1 million Greeks,
and several hundred thousand Assyrians. All these events were happening
during the time period of the scenes depicted in The Water Diviner,
yet Russell Crowe managed to paint the Turks as victims.
The Water Diviner is a film that offends the descendants of genocide
victims and should therefore be condemned. If a film depicting Adolf
Hitler as a hero and the Jews as terrorists were made, the reaction
would be one of shock and outrage. Russell Crowe’s film is a distortion
of history that only serves to appease Turkey and its continued agenda
of genocide denial.
Regards
SEND EMAILS TO:
ANDREW ANASTASIOS: [email protected] eOne
PRODUCTION HOUSE: [email protected] SOUTH SYDNEY
RABBITOHS: [email protected] WARNER BROTHERS:
THE SYDNEY
MORNING HERALD: [email protected] THE AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPER:
[email protected] NATIONAL FILM EDITOR. FAIRFAX MEDIA:
[email protected]
Other ways to PROTEST include going to IMDB and ROTTEN TOMATOES and
giving it a really low rating and leaving a negative comment.
IMDB: ROTTEN
TOMATOES:
From: A. Papazian