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In the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide

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  • In the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide

    In the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide
    Film depicts a fragile history after tragedy
    Information Minister Samaha said more such documentaries should be
    made on the history of Lebanon's various communities

    By Nada Raad
    Daily Star staff
    Tuesday, April 20, 2004


    A documentary on the Armenian community in Lebanon that airs this
    Friday evening on the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation (LBC) will
    shed light on the history of their presence here, which, according to
    the producer Carmen Labaki, began well before the 1915 Genocide.

    The documentary, "Armenians in Lebanon" was filmed in Armenia, Turkey,
    Syria, and Lebanon in an attempt to illustrate the Armenian history
    and show their "dispersal" following the 1915 Genocide, which left
    more than a million dead.

    Co-produced by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation International
    (LBCI), the 85-minute documentary will be broadcast on LBC on Friday
    after the 8 p.m. news report, and one day ahead of the Armenian
    Genocide Remembrance Day on April 24.

    Labaki, who spent one year working on the film, said that she decided
    to shoot the documentary after realizing that Armenian history is
    unknown by many here, including some Armenians. Labaki, who previously
    produced two documentaries - "Brazil in Lebanon," released in 1997,
    and "France in Lebanon," released in 2001 - said that the scene which
    most touched her concerns the shooting of the Bedouin Armenians living
    in the Syrian Desert.

    "Every Bedouin Armenian living in Syria has a story to tell about his
    parents' plight," Labaki said during the documentary's release on
    Monday atthe Haigazian University in Beirut. "But the story told by
    this second generation does not have the same impact as if it were
    told by the generation who lived the genocide," she added.

    The documentary presents Armenian nationals who were uprooted from
    their country, their culture and their families and friends, but who
    can still list the names of family members. In Syria, many Armenians
    are now Muslim Bedouins and have Arab names because they were adopted
    by Syrian families.

    The documentary shows locations where Armenians were killed and
    tortured by the Turks. During the Genocide some were killed in Armenia
    while others were killed during a march from Turkey to Syria. On April
    24, 1915, after the Armenians in the army were disarmed and then
    killed, the political and intellectual leaders meet the same fate.

    After this event, the remaining Armenians were told they would be
    relocated by marching them to concentration camps in the desert
    between Jerablus and Deir ez-Zor where they were left without food and
    water to starve under the sun.

    In a technique common to many documentaries, the producer used
    contrasting footage, with scenes of real footage in black and white
    abutting contemporary shots of the genocide march.

    "We went to Marqadeh in Deir ez-Zor to shoot the documentary. When I
    dug in the sand I found bones ... from the genocide," Labaki said.

    The documentary was also shot in Shadadeh, an area located in Deir
    ez-Zor, where around 300,000 Armenians were put in a cave and burned.

    In Syria, many Armenians live in Aleppo, while others left to come to
    Lebanon. According to the documentary, the Armenian presence in
    Lebanon dates from 1741, when the Armenian Patriarchy was established
    in Bzemmar. Following the Genocide, Armenians arrived from Syria and
    Turkey in Anjar where some died from cold and illness.

    Currently, the Armenian community is concentrated in Bourj Hammoud and
    they are well-known for their professionalism in commerce, jewelry
    design, carpet making, and crafts.

    In 1934, the Armenian community was allowed to vote, and in 1966 some
    members assumed ministerial posts.

    Currently, the Armenian community is active through three political
    parties: the Tashnak Party, the Ramgavar Party, and the Hentchak
    Party. In Beirut, four MPs out of the 18 elected members are from the
    Armenian community.

    The documentary shows that before 1975, members of the Armenian
    community here considered themselves as "Armenians living in Lebanon,"
    while today they say, "We are Lebanese from an Armenian origin."
    Nonetheless, many members of the Armenian community are currently
    returning to their homeland. "Mount Araratis waiting for them," the
    documentary said.

    "We need memory in this country," Information Minister Michel Samaha
    said at the opening. He added that such a documentary should be done
    on all the ethnic groups in the country to allow the Lebanese to learn
    more about each other.
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