Activist Artak Khachatryan abducted
13:53 | February 7,2015 | Politics
Shortly before it became known that unknown people had abducted
activist Artak Khachatryan from Tolstoy Street. He actively took part
in the rallies against “Turnover tax” law.
Artak Khachatryan has close ties with BHK. His personal photos on
Facebook prove it.
BHK deputy Vahan Babayan confirmed the news.
Details- later
Secret Codes of Russian Weapons on Armenian Border
Lragir.am
Politics – 07 February 2015, 11:15
On February 5 Azerbaijan kept the border villages of Tavush region
under intensive firing all night, killing one civilian. On that day,
Nikolay Bordyuzha, secretary general of CSTO, the military and
political alliance which is supposed to ensure the security of
Armenia, was in Yerevan.
It seems to be a rule: whenever Bordyuzha visits Armenia for one
reason or another, Azerbaijan causes escalation at the border villages
of Tavush region.
A few days before his arrival Borduzha announced that CSTO will not
interfere in Armenian-Azerbaijani escalations. It is but a direct
approval for Azerbaijan to fire, and Azerbaijan is using this approval
at full.
However, there is one interesting circumstance.
Almost every time Bordyuzha visits Armenia, Azerbaijan causes
escalation in Tavush. It is not ruled out that this is regulated
through codes. It is possible that Bordyuzha possesses certain codes
which activate Azerbaijani arms that start shooting at Armenia.
Ashot Manucharyan, member of Karabakh Committee, announced a few
months ago that Russia sells weapons to Azerbaijan but keeps the codes
and those codes are used to manage or thwart operation of Azerbaijani
arms.
In fact, as soon as Bordyuzha arrives in Armenia, codes are
immediately activated in Azerbaijan in the direction of Tavush.
Therefore, Ashot Manucharyan should interfere to make sure that the
codes are reset and Russian codes direct Azerbaijani arsenal at
Azerbaijan, not us.
By the way, it is worth noting that before Bordyuzha’s arrival, in the
night of February 4, the Azerbaijanis shot at their own villages, and
on February 5, as soon as he arrived, the Azerbaijanis started firing
at the Armenian territories.
Norwegian newspaper publishes article on Armenian Genocide Centennial
and Armenian- Turkish relations
18:46, 6 February, 2015
YEREVAN, 6 FEBRUARY, ARMENPRESS. Norway’s Minerva Daily has published
the article by expert of Norway’s top Civita analytical center Bord
Larsen with the title `Useless Diplomacy’. The article is devoted to
the Armenian Genocide Centennial and Armenian-Turkish relations.
`Armenpress’ presents the translated version of the article.
`On the day marking the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
Turkey will celebrate its heroic episode during WWI.
This year, Armenia will be marking the 100th anniversary of the
Armenian Genocide with several foreign officials on April 24th. Of
course, this isn’t something that makes the Turkish authorities happy.
On April 24, 1915, 600 well-known Armenian intellectuals, officials,
political figures, writers, lawyers, doctors and officers were
arrested in Constantinople. Most of them were given a death sentencing
in the desert of Syria, hung from bridges or in the major areas of
Constantinople.
After that, the road was clear for perpetration of the genocide since
the opposition had been eliminated. In two years, more than 1 million
Armenians and hundreds of thousands of other Christians (Assyrians,
Chalcedonians and Orthodox Greeks) were massacred.
ErdoÄ?an ‘s response to remembrance of the Genocide is to attach
importance to the heroic efforts of the Turks (in this case-the
criminals) during the battles of WWI. The Turks have sent invitations
to the leaders of more than 100 countries.
This would be the same as saying Germany start celebrating its heroic
victories in Wehrmacht in the Eastern Front during WWII.
First World War
As is known, Turkey was an ally to Germany and Austro-Hungary during
WWI. The Battle of Dardanelles was one of the greatest battles between
the allied forces and took the lives of nearly 200,000 people, but
that battle took place on April 25th, not April 24th.
As already mentioned, April 24th is the day when the Ottoman
government massacred Armenian intellectuals and officials in the
capital city. These two events are closely linked to each other. The
Ottoman Empire had already taken the decision on the ethnic cleansing
of Christians, but it was implemented right when the Young Turks,
aware that the allied forces were approaching, feared the Armenians’
treason. It is a period thatErdoÄ?an wants to remember with glory, even
a day before the battle.
ErdoÄ?an believes that with this, he is extending a hand to the
Armenians since they were also fighting in the Ottoman armed forces
during the Battle of Gallipoli and, based on his imagination, this
proves that the Armenians weren’t persecuted, but were among the
people of the Empire. Such claims are new since just recently Turkey
denied that the Armenians were loyal subjects of the Ottoman Empire.
Turkey has always claimed that the Armenians have never fought from
Turkey’s side. It’s not surprising that throughout history, the claims
of Armenians’ disloyalty have lied at the core of Turkey’s denial. At
the same time, Turkey still has its pragmatic approach to confronting
the truth as long as it continues to consider denial of the Genocide
possible. Here both claims can be used as arguments to say that the
events of 1915 were not genocide. On the one hand, the Armenians were
potential traitors and were deported from Anatolia. On the other hand,
the Armenians were granted medals of courage of the Ottoman Empire,
and so they shouldn’t be killed.
Criminal dictatorship
Every now and then, the official Turkey claims that it doesn’t have
to be held liable for anything when it comes to the issue of the
Genocide because that happened during WWI in the Ottoman Empire, not
in modern-day Turkey. But this seems to make people forget the heroic
past of the country. Another factor is that it was the tension during
the transition from an empire to a state that led to the persecutions
and killings of minorities. And it wasn’t like there were no more
assaults in the new Turkish state. The authorities actively commit
barbaric acts to eliminate the traces of the cultures of the victims.
Religious buildings are robbed, destroyed or in ruins.
In spite of the fact that the Armenian Genocide took place a century
ago, it is still weighty in the political arena. The reason is because
Turkey has never been held liable for it. This year there will be a
lot of focus on the issue, and the problem is whether Turkey is
playing way too strong, overestimating its own attempts in that battle
of useless diplomacy, or as historians ironically say, Turkey’s
definition of the genocide is `that which we did not do against the
Armenians’.
SOFIA’S HISTORY MUSEUM TO HOST PHOTO EXHIBIT ON ARMENIA
February 6, 2015 – 15:15 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net – National Museum of History in Sofia hosts a special
photo exhibition themed Armenia – Ancient and Modern. The exhibition
was officially opened by Ehiyazar Uzunyan, honorary consul of the
Republic of Armenia in Bulgaria, Focus News Agency reported.
The start of the current exhibition was set back in 2012 when Uzunyan
organized a photo-planner in Armenia with two amateur photographers –
Milko Iliev and Hristo Dimitrov. The two had never visited Armenia
before and were astonished by the cultural and historic heritage of
the country.
The photo exhibition is a story about the Armenians and their culture.
It is part of a series of events organized by Armenians in Bulgaria
and all over the world to mark the 100th anniversary the 1915 Genocide.
YEREVAN’S POLYCLINICS: TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FREE HEALTHCARE BUT STAY AWAY FROM THE TOILETS – PHOTOS
Ani Hovhannisyan
23:44, January 31, 2015
There are 22 polyclinics in Yerevan where people receive
state-sponsored healthcare for free or at reduced rates. Hetq visited
all the polyclinics in the city to examine the sanitary conditions
of the state institutions offering medical assistance to people.
Photographs were taken so that the sanitary conditions of the
polyclinics could be reviewed. On the map below you can click
the points on the map to learn more about the conditions of every
individual healthcare facility.
Yerevan’s polyclinics fall under the supervision of both the
Yerevan Municipality and the Ministry of Health. The Municipality
is responsible for the overall maintenance of medical buildings,
the quality of medical equipment and staff management. The sanitary
conditions of the polyclinics are controled by the Ministry of Health’s
State Health Inspectorate.
Arshakunyants polyclinic
The photos clearly show that almost none of Yerevan’s polyclinics
maintain the standards defined in the government’s 2013 decision to
establish a prevention board setting the sanitation standards for
public restrooms. Why doesn’t the Ministry of Health State Health
Inspection Board record the sanitation violations of restrooms made
by the polyclinics?
Hetq inquired as to whether violations of sanitation requirements
were recorded in the polyclinics in 2013-2014 and whether there
were polyclinics that were penalized. As stated by the Ministry of
Health, “According to hygienic and epidemic control practices with
the Republic of Armenia, polyclinics are answerable to the Republic
of Armenia Ministry of Health’s State Health Inspectorate.”
In 2013, Polyclinic #8 LLC underwent a thorough inspection, the results
of which determined that violations in the rules of proper sanitation
condition maintenance were committed. The director of the polyclinic
was officially penalized.
In fact, within the last two years only one infraction was cited for
the same situation found in nearly all the polyclinics.
>From the 2013 tax-payer funded budget, 3.67 billion dram was
appropriated to public health services, including hygienic and epidemic
control services.
For 2015-2017, the ministry has forecasted a fixed budget dedicated
to conducting sanitary and anti-epidemic measures as well as poison
and disease control.
Copy: Copy: | Create infographics
What is the point of appropriating state funds for sanitary measures
when there is no disclosure by the Ministry of Health and violations
of practices are not noted for all institutions?
The Municipality’s Duty
The Yerevan Municipality supervises building renovations, furnishing
upgrades and quality of service in polyclinics that are run by medical
aid companies. In 2014, 165 million dram (US$346,270) was allocated
for healthcare from the city’s budget to realize various programs: 100
million dram ($210K) went to “medical equipment purchases for health
establishments,” 50 million dram ($105K) went to the “reconstruction
of healthcare facilities” and 15 million dram($31.5K) went to “computer
tomography for the population.”
Hetq asked the Yerevan Municipality to reveal how much money was
allocated in 2014 for building renovations and acquiring equipment
for each polyclinic. Polyclinic 15 LLC and Sari Tagh Polyclinic LLC
received new heating systems, while Karmir Blur Polyclinic LLC had
new windows installed, all of which amounted to 41,052,480 dram.
As part of the “medical equipment purchases for health establishments”
program, the Yerevan Municipality acquired 14 pieces of medical
equipment(2 X-ray machines, 5 ultrasound machines with echocardiogram
transducers, 1 Doppler echocardiogram machine, 2 stereo microscopes
and 4 immune-ferment analyzers). The total cost was 75,886,400 dram.
As a result, 24,114,000 dram was left over. . (The 100 million
allocated minus the 75,886,400 expended).
19270002299000028500003480000974200Antituberculosis Dispensary LLCDavit
Anhaght LLCEndocrine Dispensary LLCNork Marash Polyclinic LLCPolyclinic
#1 LLCPolyclinic #13 LLCPolyclinic #15 LLCPolyclinic #17 LLCPolyclinic
#20 LLCPolyclinic #22 LLCPolyclinic #8 LLCPolyclinic #8 LLCScientific
Research Institute of CardiologyX-ray MachineDoppler echocardiogram
machineImmune-ferment AnalyzersStereo MicroscopesUltrasound machines
with 2 scannersX-ray Machine
For the “computed tomography for the population” program, the
municipality acquired a CT scanner at 14,500,000 dram, which was used
by 209 residents through December 10, 2014.
466,535 people visited Yerevan’s polyclinics between September and
December of 2014. They all had the opportunity to free receive medical
aid provided with the new equipment.
Copy: Copy: | Create infographics
But they had to avoid entering the restrooms. Medical institutions
providing such restroom facilities to their patients are not only
incapable preventing the spread communicable diseases but may also be
actively spreading them.On December 3, 2014 Mayor of Yerevan Taron
Margaryan and Minister of Health Armen Muradyan paid a visit to the
above-mentioned renovated polyclinics to inspect the conditions of
the buildings and have their photos taken for publication on their
official web sites. But they forgot to enter the restrooms.
LES AUTORITES EN ARTSAKH DISCUTENT DU CENTENAIRE DU GENOCIDE
KARABAGH
Bako Sahakian president de l’Artsakh a ouvert une consultation speciale
dediee a la preparation de la commemoration du 100e anniversaire du
genocide armenien cette annee.
Le President a souligne que la reconnaissance et la condamnation
internationale du genocide armenien sont parmi les questions les
plus importantes au niveau de la signification politique, juridique
et morale de la nation armenienne.
Bako Sahakian a donne des instructions aux representants de divers
organismes de l’Etat sur la mise en oeuvre d’activites commemorant
le centenaire du genocide.
Le Primat du Diocèse de l’Artsakh de l’Eglise apostolique armenienne
l’Archeveque Pargev Martirosian, le president de l’Assemblee nationale
Ashot Ghulyan, le Premier ministre Ara Haroutyunyan, et d’autres
fonctionnaires participaient a la consultation.
vendredi 6 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com
American University of Armenia
Diana Manukyan | AUA PR Manager
Office of Communications
40 Marshal Baghramyan Ave. | Yerevan, 0019, Armenia
Tel: +374 60 612 522; Email: [email protected] |
American University of Armenia Develops Partnerships with Two UC Campuses
LOS ANGELES – At a ceremony held on January 15, 2015 on the University of
California at Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, AUA and UCLA jointly announced the
launch of a new AUA-UCLA Summer Intensive Program in Armenian Studies. At
the same event, AUA signed a memorandum of understanding with the
University of California at Irvine (UC Irvine) with the aim of promoting
future educational and scientific cooperation between the two universities.
Present at the meeting were AUA President Armen Der Kiureghian, AUA
President Emeriti Mihran Agbabian and Haroutune Armenian, AUA Trustee and
UCLA Professor Ann Karagozian and Alen Amirkhanian, the Director of AUA’s
Acopian Center for the Environment.
Representing UCLA were Dr. Peter Cowe, Narekatsi Professor of Armenian
Studies, Professor Gregory Areshian and Dr. Anahid Keshishian Aramouni.
Also present was UCLA Professor Emeritus Richard Hovhannisian and several
other UCLA faculty, staff, and students, who were there to help celebrate
this momentous occasion.
Representing UC Irvine were Dean Georges Van Den Abbeele of the School of
Humanities, Marijana Lekousis, Interim Director of Development, and several
students and supporters of UC Irvine’s burgeoning program in Armenian
studies.
The AUA-UCLA summer study abroad program has been developed within the
context of a wider range of collaborative projects discussed by Professor
Cowe and President Der Kiureghian. Being located in Armenia, AUA offers an
ideal hub for scholars and students of Armenian studies. The summer program
is the beginning of a joint effort that hopefully will lead to a broader
program of student and faculty interactions with UCLA and study-abroad
opportunities for students from all universities in the Diaspora. It is
noteworthy that both AUA and UCLA are accredited by the WASC Senior College
and University Commission in Alameda, CA. This facilitates transfer of
credit for courses taken in the summer program.
The 2015 AUA-UCLA summer program at AUA will comprise language courses in
Eastern Armenian at the introductory and intermediate levels, a survey
course on Armenia in the context of history of civilizations, and an
undergraduate research seminar-workshop. Professor Areshian and Dr.
Keshishian will deliver three of the courses. The program will commence on
June 15 and continue for five consecutive weeks. Visits to historical
sites, participation in cultural events, and interaction with prominent
artists and scholars in and around Yerevan as well as guided weekend
excursions to other regions of the republic will add a further dimension to
the students’ experience.
AUA President Dr. Der Kiureghian said, `We hope students from UCLA
as well
as other universities across the world will take advantage of this unique
opportunity. We are committed to making sure that students will have a
wonderful learning experience, not only in the classroom, but also through
a rich program of excursions and cultural events.’
AUA is also developing relations with other UC campuses. The Memorandum of
Understanding, which was signed by Dean Van Den Abbeele on behalf of the
entire UC Irvine campus and by AUA’s President Der Kiureghian, is a result
of the desire of the two universities to promote interactions and exchanges
between their students and faculty. UC Irvine has a large number of
Armenian students and is in the process of establishing an endowment to
support Armenian studies.
Dr. Der Kiureghian said, `We are very pleased to have this agreement with
UC Irvine, which aims at facilitating study abroad and faculty interactions
between our two universities. AUA provides an ideal choice for study abroad
for UC Irvine students who are interested in Armenian studies or wish to
study in their ancestral homeland for a summer, a semester or a year. We
would also be very pleased to host UC Irvine faculty who are interested in
studying the history and culture of Armenia or would like to spend a
sabbatical leave at AUA. We hope our students and faculty will be able to
make reciprocal visits and benefit from the many rich programs available at
UC Irvine.’
Dean Van Den Abbeele remarked, `We are most pleased and proud to enter into
this exciting new partnership with the American University of Armenia not
only for the tremendous opportunities it provides for our own burgeoning
program in Armenian studies here at UC Irvine, but also for the wider
exchange of scholars and students it will generate between all our fields
of inquiry, both at Irvine and in Yerevan.’
For further information about AUA summer programs, visit admissions.aua.am
or on Facebook fb.com/AUAadmissions, or email [email protected].
*Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private,
independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the
University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and
the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies,
encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic
values.*
VARDAN PETROSYAN SUSCEPTIBLE D’ETRE LIBERE EN AVRIL
ARMENIE
L’acteur populaire Vardan Petrosyan, qui a ete reconnu coupable
d’homicide involontaire et condamne a cinq ans de prison, est
susceptible d’etre libere de prison en Avril,a declare son avocat
aux journalistes après le procès.
“Nous savons qu’il y aura une loi d’amnistie qui s’appliquera aussi
a la condamnation de Vardan Petrosyan. Vardan Petrosyan sera libere
en Avril que la partie lesee fait appel de ce verdict ou non “,
a declare Nikolay Baghdasaryan, qui a defendu Petrosyan lors du procès.
Baghdasaryan a dit que la defense n’ait pas d’accord avec le verdict
du tribunal, mais ne fera pas appel contre lui devant un tribunal
superieur.
Petrosyan est en prison depuis le 6 Novembre 2013.
vendredi 6 fevrier 2015, Stephane (c)armenews.com
WORLD IS TREATING PUTIN THE WAY PUTIN IS TREATING ARMENIANS
Lragir.am
Society – 06 February 2015, 16:42
Pentagon has published a report on studies on Putin’s health. The
report supposes that the Russian President Vladimir Putin has
Asperger’s syndrome, “an autistic disorder which affects all of
his decisions.”
Pentagon’s report is a theory which was based on studies of body
movements, and there is no proof because the authors of the report
have no possibility to scan Putin’s brain.
In fact, the West has decided to treat Putin the way he has decided to
treat the Armenian society. Interestingly, along with the disclosure
of the Pentagon report to the U.S. press, information appeared in the
Russian press that the Russian serviceman Permyakov suspected of the
manslaughter in Gyumri, has a mental disorder and received treatment
in the psychiatric hospital before transfer to Armenia.
This version was not unexpected for the Armenian society because since
the very first day many circles in Armenia believed that Permyakov
would be ruled insane and the case would be covered up.
Apparently, this is what Russia is planning or is trying to check the
Armenian public opinion in case this scenario is implemented. And if
the Russian government really implements this scenario, it will mean
that the Armenian public, not Permyakov is taken for an insane.
It turns out that the Russian government, hence President Putin,
takes the Armenian society as someone with mental problems, and the
West, hence, the U.S. department of defense, ascribes mental disorders
to Putin.
Experts and scientists had received the order to conduct the study
a lot time ago but they have published it now. Interestingly, the
report on Putin appears in the U.S. press in the context of Russia’s
conduct towards the Armenian society.
As the ancient Greek philosopher said, you should not treat someone
the way you do not want others to treat you.
SERJ TANKIAN TALKS ‘WAKE UP THE SOULS’ TOUR, ‘1915’
10:11, 06 Feb 2015
Siranush Ghazanchyan
Last November, the Grammy Award-winning group System of a Down
announced plans for a tour to mark the centennial of the Armenian
Genocide.
The tour, called “Wake Up the Souls” will kick off in Los Angeles on
April 6 and after stops in London, Cologne, Germany, Lyon, France,
Brussels, Amsterdam and Moscow the band will land at Yerevan’s Republic
Square for a free concert on April 23.
In an interview with Asbarez News Serj Tankian discussed the tour and
other projects, which are keeping him busy for the foreseeable future.
He touched on some of the key issues coming up in 2015, the main one
being the Armenian Genocide Centennial and “Wake Up the Souls.”
“The idea was to take what we had done with the previous concert
series, ‘Souls,’ and to project that into a tour for the centennial
in 2015,” said Tankian referring to a concert the band staged in 2004
to raise awareness about the Genocide and to challenge then President
George W. Bush to honor his campaign pledge to recognize as genocide
the events of 1915.
He said that the tour culminating with a large free concert in Yerevan,
where System of a Down has never performed, would be an appropriate
commemoration of the centennial.
“We are also looking at televising the show in Armenia for free on
the Internet worldwide so everyone can be with us in Republic Square
in Yerevan,” he added.
Tankian asserted that “Wake Up the Souls,” is not meant to “just raise
awareness [about the Genocide], but to be a conduit for justice.” The
call to action, he explained, begins before the tour kicks off on an
online community where people have already begun connecting to advance
the message of the Genocide and universal justice around the world.
“This is all matched by an online campaign with a heat map of data
about the countries that have recognized the Genocide and link to
Twitter accounts where people can join the effort–can join with us
around the world,” said Tankian.
He has been encouraged by the signs of change among certain segments of
Turkish society that “are doing amazing work trying to get recognition
for the Armenian Genocide.”
“You’re well aware that as of a few weeks ago there was a resolution
going through the Turkish parliament to recognize all past crimes from
a female Kurdish member of parliament. Even though the AKP [Turkey’s
ruling Justice and Development Party] controls the parliament
and it will probably not pass, but that [the introduction of the
resolution] is a good sign. I think we’ve come to expect little from
the Turkish government, but I can say it’s up to us as well. There is
an organization called ‘Project 2015’ that is encouraging people to
go to Istanbul for 2015. I think that’s very interesting to go back to
where it all started,” said Tankian about the activism within Turkey.
On January 28, two prominent Turkish human rights organizations–The
Human Rights Association from Turkey and The Center for Truth Justice
Memory-partnered with the Toronto-based International Institute for
Genocide & Human Rights Studies and presented legal briefs in favor
of Armenia in the now famous Perincek case about Genocide denial at
the International Court of Human Rights.
While neither System of a Down nor Tankian have performed in Turkey,
due to the Turkish government policy of Genocide denial, as well as
its restrictions on freedom of speech, Tankian says that a large
fan base in Turkey is active and whenever there are statements or
misinformation in the local Turkish press, the fans have actively
defended the musicians.
Tankian said that Genocide is a humanitarian issue. “This is an issue
having to do with a Genocide. It’s not an issue between people or
cultures as far as I am concerned anymore. We’ve seen this happen over
and over again and we will continue to see this happen, even if there
are committees in the UN [working to address or prevent it]. We won’t
see change until executive powers in the world agree that everything
else is off the table when it comes to Genocide.”
“So if there is a Genocide occurring in Sudan and the Chinese
are buying oil from that country, there has got to be some kind of
international agreement or mechanism to stop them from buying oil from
that country [that is committing Genocide],” he explained. “There has
got to be some kind of international agreement that when it comes to
Genocide everything stops.”
Tankian points out that official recognition of the Genocide has
already happened in US with the passage of various congressional
resolutions in the 1970’s and 1980’s and with President Ronald Reagan
acknowledging the Genocide during his presidency.
He believes however that “it’s important to keep on the US State
Department to correctly identify our relationship–US’s relationship
with Turkey– having to do with Turkey and having the Genocide as a
part of that”–Genocide recognition should be a precondition for the
level of US relations with Turkey.
“Will our tour procure this?” Tankian asked. “Probably not,” he said.
“But we want to be a small part of the continuing recognition
[movement] and necessity for justice having to do with the first
Genocide of the 20th century while trying to make it clear that this
is an ongoing disease that has not stopped,” explained Tankian.
Another project Tankian is focusing on is writing the score for the
upcoming Armenian Genocide thriller”1915,”which is set for release
this year.
“1915” is the feature film debut of writer-directors Garin Hovannisian
and Alec Mouhibian. Together with producer Terry Leonard (“Before
I Disappear,” “Cold Comes the Night,” “Amira & Sam,” “Hounddog”)
and an international cast including Simon Abkarian (“Casino Royale,”
“The Cut,” “Gett”), Angela Sarafyan (“The Immigrant,” “Twilight”), Sam
Page (“Mad Men,” “House of Cards”), Nikolai Kinski (“Aeon Flux”), and
Jim Piddock (HBO’s “Family Tree,” “The Prestige”), “1915” was filmed on
location in Los Angeles, with the production companies Bloodvine Media
and Strongman announcing last week that the film will debut this year.
Set on the single day of April 24, 2015, the film follows one
man’s controversial and dangerous mission to bring the ghosts of a
forgotten tragedy back to life. The movie will play a leading role
in the global movement this spring to shed light on all genocides of
the past century.
“I think ‘1915’ is a really interesting, unique drama that deals
with a unique topic that hasn’t been dealt with in films. For me the
film deals with the Diasporan effect of trauma–of loss. There’s no
film that’s dealt with that. Maybe it’s personal, but the message
of loss–the pain of loss- is very universal. ‘1915’ does that in
a very artistic way,” said Tankian who explained that he has been
working on the score for months and describes the music as “orchestral,
piano and very authentic instrument-based” with elements of surprise,
horror and mystery.
He explained that he first wrote themes based on the script “to figure
out what the emotional centerpiece of it is and then extrapolate the
sub-themes and build other themes.” Working in his studio, Tankian
composes the score frame-by-frame and scene-by scene, with notes from
the directors.
While the entire score is original, Tankian said he has brought in a
few elements of a composition called “A 100 Years,” which he co-wrote
with New Zealand-based composer John Psathas. The entire composition
was performed last fall with the Lark Musical Society.
“A 100 Years” is a symphonic piece about the first Genocide of the
20th century of Armenians, Greeks and Assyrians.
“It goes from dark to hopeful at the end,” said Tankian who engaged
his musician friends from around the world to perform the piece.
“A lot of great instrumentalists have given their time for free to
be on the track,” he said, adding that a video was also made that is
a montage of the various musicians playing the piece. He anticipates
featuring the video on YouTube, as well as various festivals.
“‘A 100 Years’ is a symphonic piece that was born in New Zealand
from a collaboration that I’ve had with another composer named John
Psathas, who is Greek-Kiwi. He and I have collaborated before on
the ‘Elect the Dead’ symphony in 2009. He helped me arrange a lot
of those songs for the orchestra. We both co-wrote and co-composed
‘A 100 Years.’ It was actually his idea,” he said.
Tankian said that some of the elements of “A 100 Years” that he
has incorporated in the “1915” film score worked perfectly with the
overall composition.
“I can understand what people expect or want, but at the same time
when it comes to the arts… It’s not like the Armenian people woke
up one day and said ‘we expect a band like System of a Down’ that
are playing progressive metal music. That’s not what the expectations
were of us,” said Tankian.
“When it comes to expectations, let’s put that aside for a moment. The
important thing is to make an effective film. A film that on its
own is a great film, irrespective of the topic, and other people’s
expectations,” he added.
Tankian said that “1915” is an indie film and expressed hope that “it
will be an award-winning indie film, because I think it’s got great
acting, great performance, great writing and great music [laughs].”
Tankian and System of a Down have been touring since 2011. In September
the band will headline the Rock in Rio festival in Brazil, in addition
to performances in other South American countries.