JamBase, CA
Feb 10 2007
SCREAMERS FIGHTS GENOCIDE 6
Multi-platinum selling Armenian-American rock band System of a Down
and award-winning director Carla Garapedian trace the history of
modern-day genocide in the film Screamers, which debuted at the AMC
theaters in Times Square, New York on January 26. The documentary
examines why genocides keep occurring — from the Armenian genocide
in 1915, to the Holocaust, Bosnia, Rwanda and now Darfur –through
the eyes and music of the Grammy award-winning rock band, whose
members are all grandchildren of genocide survivors.
"It’s important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide,"
frontman Serj Tankian said in a statement. "History does and will
repeat itself, unless we stop that cycle." With the arguments of
Harvard Professor Samantha Power, the personal stories of survivors
from Armenia, Rwanda and Darfur, policy critics and whistleblowers
"the screamers" the film targets the problem of genocide denial, with
specific reference to the Turkish government’s current campaign to
stop its citizens from discussing the genocide. When the band arrives
back in the United States, they confront the hypocrisy of U.S.
foreign policy in the debate on genocide recognition, with Speaker of
the House, Dennis Hastert, actively blocking a vote in Congress.
The band’s efforts have gained national press attention in hundreds
of articles appearing in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times,
Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Newsweek, MTV, BBC, VH1, ABC, FOX,
WB, and Rolling Stone.
About the Director:
The only American ever to anchor the famous BBC World News, Carla
Garapedian earned her Ph.D. in international relations at the
prestigious London School of Economics, before cutting her teeth as a
correspondent for NBC and later being swept up by the BBC as a
director and anchor.
Since leaving the BBC (where, among other stories, she exposed major
faults in Europe’s most dangerous nuclear reactors), she has cut a
swath as an international documentary director, working for Hardcash
Productions, the company that produced the Emmy award-winning film
about women in Afghanistan, Beneath the Veil. Her sequel, Lifting the
Veil, premiered in the U.S. on the Sundance Channel in August 2003.
In addition to anchoring for BBC World News, Garapedian has been a
correspondent for NBC Sunrise, NBC Nightly News and CNBC financial
news. She narrated the Armenian genocide film, Voices from the Lake
by the acclaimed filmmaker, J.M. Hagopian, as well as co-writing his
award-winning film Germany and the Secret Genocide.
The headline about her in the LA Times Calendar section is probably
the best description of her work so far — "Documenting Truth in
Dangerous Places."
About System of a Down:
Like many late-’90s metal bands, System of a Down struck a balance
between ’80s underground thrash metal and metallic early-’90s
alternative rockers like Jane’s Addiction. Their dark, neo-gothic
alternative metal earned a cult following in the wake of the
popularity of such likeminded bands as Korn and the Deftones.
Vocalist Serj Tankian, guitarist Daron Malakian, bassist Shavo
Odadjian, and drummer John Dolmayan formed System of a Down in
southern California in the mid-’90s. They quickly earned a strong
following in Los Angeles, largely based on strong word of mouth. A
three-song demo began circulating through metal collectors, and their
fan base soon spread throughout not only America, but Europe and New
Zealand.
By the end of 1997, the group had signed to American, then
distributed by Columbia Records. American/Columbia released the
group’s eponymous debut album in the summer of 1998, securing the
band opening spots on the Slayer and Ozzfest tours. System eventually
went gold, and set up the September 2001 release of the even more
ambitious Toxicity. System’s second effort was another heavy music
triumph, shaming the majority of their nu-metal competition and
running away with multi-platinum honors. The quartet didn’t slow
down. Malakian started the eatURmusic imprint and Tankian a label
called Serjical Strike; Tankian also collaborated with Armenian
avant-garde folk musician Arto Tuncboyaciyan in a project called
Serart. In November 2002 System issued the bare-bones but no less
powerful odds ‘n’ ends set Steal This Album!; they also remained
politically active.
By 2004, System of a Down was back in the studio with Rick Rubin. The
bold result of those sessions was a single, epic album released in
two parts. Mezmerize/ Hypnotize kept System’s furious creativity
alive, incorporating the wild vocal melodies, lyrical passion, and
rabid structural shifts that had become their trademark. Mezmerize,
or part one, appeared in May 2005, while Hypnotize, its final
section, appeared later in the year, and both hit the top of the
album charts.
[Published on 2/9/2007]
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
