RICHARD PENA READS THE TESTIMONY OF GALUST GALUSTIAN
April 16, 2015 10:30
EXCLUSIVE
Richard Pena
Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide
Centennial. The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors
published by the National Archive of Armenia.
Richard Pena is the former program director of the New York Film
Festival, Professor of Professional Practice at the School of Arts
at Columbia University.
For 100 seconds project he reads an extract from Armenian Genocide
survivor Galust Galustian’s testimony.
National Archives of
Armenia Collection of Documents
Testimony of survivor Galust Galustian on deportation and massacres
of the Armenian population of the town of Arabkir
June 21, 1917 Baberd, School of Orphans
On that day we walked for 3 hours and reached the foothills of a
desolate mountain. There was neither bread there, nor water. Actually,
there was water but the gendarmes wouldn’t give it to us – they drank
it themselves and demanded money to let us drink.
We passed that terrible night too. It was the morning of the last –
the 11th day of the deportation. We started off walking up the road.
We climbed a hill and then a huge mountain and a valley opened in
front of us.
There were villages and green gardens at the bottom of the mountains.
In the village and below it thousands of people swarmed like ants.
We were taken to them. We passed villages and gorges. It was soon and
after 11 days of unbearable life, the caravan for the last time stopped
at the villages that we had seen from far away. It was terribly hot
and our bodies were bathing in blood and sweat, our faces had lost
their forms because of dust. We were like creatures out of graves.
Producer: Ara Tadevosyan Filming: Lena Gevorgyan, Mariam Loretsyan
Post Production: Tumo LLC
The source of Galust Galustian’s testimony: National Archives of
Armenia, Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey, 1915, Testimony of
survivors, Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.
VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.
From: Baghdasarian