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Armenian National Committee of America
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
July 21, 2010
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
CAPITOL HILL SCREENING OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FILM "AGHET" DRAWS
STANDING ROOM ONLY CROWD
-- Rep. Schiff Hosts Washington, DC Premiere
WASHINGTON, DC - A standing room only crowd of legislators, staff
and community activists applauded the Capitol Hill screening of
"AGHET: A GENOCIDE," a powerful documentary by German filmmaker
Eric Friedler depicting Ottoman Turkey's annihilation of 1.5
million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 and calling attention to the
costs of the current Turkish government's ongoing international
campaign of genocide denial, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
Congressional Armenian Genocide Resolution author Adam Schiff (D-
CA), who hosted screening, offered poignant opening remarks
thanking film Producer Katarina Trebitsch and Friedler for his
"tenacity and his wonderful work." He went on to note that the
Turkish Embassy had, in the days leading up to the documentary's
first-time showing on Capitol Hill, sent him a letter objecting to
the screening. The California legislator was forceful in his
rebuke of foreign pressure to block Congressional discussion of the
Armenian Genocide. "Unfortunately for the Turkish Ambassador and
his government, the infamous Section 301 of the Turkish penal code,
which makes it a crime to insult Turkishness, does not apply here,
and we are free to speak the truth and admire the work of others
like Mr. Friedler, who have stood up to the threats, the bullying,
and the intimidation," explained Rep. Schiff.
Characterizing 'Aghet' as an "important movie," Rep. Brad Sherman
(D-CA) called special attention to its focus on the dispatches of
the German government during the Genocide, highlighting the vastly
different ways the German government and the Turkish government
have dealt with their respective legacies of genocide. "One is the
approach taken by the German government, acknowledging the
Holocaust and then trying to build on that and trying to make sure
that you do not see genocides in the future," explained Rep.
Sherman. "The other extreme we see is the actions of the Turkish
government, illustrating that genocide denial is the last step of
the genocide, when after trying to extinguish a people you try to
extinguish the memory of that terrible act. And it is also the
first step in the next genocide, the one thing that links the
Armenian Genocide and Turkey on the one hand and the Germany on the
other is the fact that Adolf Hitler was famously able to convince
his cohorts that they could get away with genocide, for after all
the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Turks, have been able to do so."
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), in
his remarks, noted the critical role of documentaries like "Aghet"
in educating Congress about the Armenian Genocide. "I think this is
really important because obviously we will continue to fight to get
the [Armenian] Genocide resolution passed and this is an important
part of that effort," explained Pallone. He went on to urge
continued grassroots efforts to end U.S. complicity in Turkey's
genocide denial. "You are out there endorsing candidates - for
President, for Congress, for Senate, whatever it is. That is what
is going to make the difference," concluded Pallone.
The filmmaker, Eric Friedler, with modesty, noted: "I do not know
if my film 'Aghet' will have any impact on the way the American
Congress will deal with the issue of Armenian Genocide in future.
It is more than amazing and absolutely unusual that a German
documentary might be considered to have any meaning to a political
decision-making process. I feel very honored to be invited to
Washington and that 'Aghet' is seen by members of the Congress."
The screening was followed by a robust 90-minute panel discussion,
sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of America, featuring
the director, Eric Friedler, former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
John Evans, SCREAMERS Director Carla Garapedian, and Vartkes
Yeghiayan, Director of the Center for Armenian Remembrance. The
discussion was moderated by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
"Tonight's Capitol Hill premiere of Aghet offered Members of
Congress and their staffs an excellent opportunity to explore the
costs and consequences of Turkey's ongoing denial of the Armenian
Genocide," said Hamparian. "We want to say a special thank you to
Congressman Schiff for hosting this historic screening and are, of
course, deeply appreciative of Eric Friedler's compelling
contribution to America's civic discourse on this vital subject.
We are greatly pleased that Ambassador John Evans, Carla
Garapedian, and Vartkes Yeghiayan were able to join in making the
panel discussion such a success. We look forward, in the days and
weeks ahead, to this powerful film's ongoing impact on our nation's
progress toward full and formal condemnation of this crime against
all humanity."
Among those attending the screening were the Deputy Chief of
Mission of the Embassy of Armenia, Varuzhan Nersessian, who was
joined by a large contingent of Armenian Embassy officials; Robert
Avetisyan, the Representative of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic in
Washington, DC; Appo Jabarian, Executive Publisher and Managing
Editor of USA Armenian Life Magazine, and; Donald Wilson Bush, an
eighth generation Woodrow Wilson family descendant. The event may
have also served as an educational experience for a group of
Turkish Americans serving as interns on Capitol Hill. One of these
interns asked a question of the panel, and several others remained
at the event, speaking to the panelists and audience members, long
after the program had ended.
AGHET: A GENOCIDE is a powerful documentary which debuted on German
public television (NDR) in April, 2010, depicting the annihilation
of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1923 and the effects of the
Turkish Government's international campaign of genocide denial on
international policy. Award-winning director Eric Friedler
assembles an impeccable cast, who bring to life the original texts
of German and U.S. diplomatic dispatches and eyewitness accounts,
interspersed with never-before-seen footage of the Genocide and its
political aftermath. The film, applauded by Nobel Prize laureate
Gunter Grass, has sparked debate throughout Europe. It is now
being showcased around the world on television, and in major film
festivals.
For more information about the film, read an extensive review by
Der Spiegel Magazine at:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,687449,00.html
#####
From: A. Papazian
1711 N Street, NW
Washington, DC 20036
Tel. (202) 775-1918
Fax. (202) 775-5648
[email protected]
Internet www.anca.org
PRESS RELEASE
July 21, 2010
Contact: Elizabeth S. Chouldjian
Tel: (202) 775-1918
CAPITOL HILL SCREENING OF ARMENIAN GENOCIDE FILM "AGHET" DRAWS
STANDING ROOM ONLY CROWD
-- Rep. Schiff Hosts Washington, DC Premiere
WASHINGTON, DC - A standing room only crowd of legislators, staff
and community activists applauded the Capitol Hill screening of
"AGHET: A GENOCIDE," a powerful documentary by German filmmaker
Eric Friedler depicting Ottoman Turkey's annihilation of 1.5
million Armenians from 1915 to 1923 and calling attention to the
costs of the current Turkish government's ongoing international
campaign of genocide denial, reported the Armenian National
Committee of America (ANCA).
Congressional Armenian Genocide Resolution author Adam Schiff (D-
CA), who hosted screening, offered poignant opening remarks
thanking film Producer Katarina Trebitsch and Friedler for his
"tenacity and his wonderful work." He went on to note that the
Turkish Embassy had, in the days leading up to the documentary's
first-time showing on Capitol Hill, sent him a letter objecting to
the screening. The California legislator was forceful in his
rebuke of foreign pressure to block Congressional discussion of the
Armenian Genocide. "Unfortunately for the Turkish Ambassador and
his government, the infamous Section 301 of the Turkish penal code,
which makes it a crime to insult Turkishness, does not apply here,
and we are free to speak the truth and admire the work of others
like Mr. Friedler, who have stood up to the threats, the bullying,
and the intimidation," explained Rep. Schiff.
Characterizing 'Aghet' as an "important movie," Rep. Brad Sherman
(D-CA) called special attention to its focus on the dispatches of
the German government during the Genocide, highlighting the vastly
different ways the German government and the Turkish government
have dealt with their respective legacies of genocide. "One is the
approach taken by the German government, acknowledging the
Holocaust and then trying to build on that and trying to make sure
that you do not see genocides in the future," explained Rep.
Sherman. "The other extreme we see is the actions of the Turkish
government, illustrating that genocide denial is the last step of
the genocide, when after trying to extinguish a people you try to
extinguish the memory of that terrible act. And it is also the
first step in the next genocide, the one thing that links the
Armenian Genocide and Turkey on the one hand and the Germany on the
other is the fact that Adolf Hitler was famously able to convince
his cohorts that they could get away with genocide, for after all
the Ottoman Empire, the Ottoman Turks, have been able to do so."
Congressional Armenian Caucus Co-Chairman Frank Pallone (D-NJ), in
his remarks, noted the critical role of documentaries like "Aghet"
in educating Congress about the Armenian Genocide. "I think this is
really important because obviously we will continue to fight to get
the [Armenian] Genocide resolution passed and this is an important
part of that effort," explained Pallone. He went on to urge
continued grassroots efforts to end U.S. complicity in Turkey's
genocide denial. "You are out there endorsing candidates - for
President, for Congress, for Senate, whatever it is. That is what
is going to make the difference," concluded Pallone.
The filmmaker, Eric Friedler, with modesty, noted: "I do not know
if my film 'Aghet' will have any impact on the way the American
Congress will deal with the issue of Armenian Genocide in future.
It is more than amazing and absolutely unusual that a German
documentary might be considered to have any meaning to a political
decision-making process. I feel very honored to be invited to
Washington and that 'Aghet' is seen by members of the Congress."
The screening was followed by a robust 90-minute panel discussion,
sponsored by the Armenian National Committee of America, featuring
the director, Eric Friedler, former U.S. Ambassador to Armenia,
John Evans, SCREAMERS Director Carla Garapedian, and Vartkes
Yeghiayan, Director of the Center for Armenian Remembrance. The
discussion was moderated by ANCA Executive Director Aram Hamparian.
"Tonight's Capitol Hill premiere of Aghet offered Members of
Congress and their staffs an excellent opportunity to explore the
costs and consequences of Turkey's ongoing denial of the Armenian
Genocide," said Hamparian. "We want to say a special thank you to
Congressman Schiff for hosting this historic screening and are, of
course, deeply appreciative of Eric Friedler's compelling
contribution to America's civic discourse on this vital subject.
We are greatly pleased that Ambassador John Evans, Carla
Garapedian, and Vartkes Yeghiayan were able to join in making the
panel discussion such a success. We look forward, in the days and
weeks ahead, to this powerful film's ongoing impact on our nation's
progress toward full and formal condemnation of this crime against
all humanity."
Among those attending the screening were the Deputy Chief of
Mission of the Embassy of Armenia, Varuzhan Nersessian, who was
joined by a large contingent of Armenian Embassy officials; Robert
Avetisyan, the Representative of the Nagorno Karabagh Republic in
Washington, DC; Appo Jabarian, Executive Publisher and Managing
Editor of USA Armenian Life Magazine, and; Donald Wilson Bush, an
eighth generation Woodrow Wilson family descendant. The event may
have also served as an educational experience for a group of
Turkish Americans serving as interns on Capitol Hill. One of these
interns asked a question of the panel, and several others remained
at the event, speaking to the panelists and audience members, long
after the program had ended.
AGHET: A GENOCIDE is a powerful documentary which debuted on German
public television (NDR) in April, 2010, depicting the annihilation
of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1923 and the effects of the
Turkish Government's international campaign of genocide denial on
international policy. Award-winning director Eric Friedler
assembles an impeccable cast, who bring to life the original texts
of German and U.S. diplomatic dispatches and eyewitness accounts,
interspersed with never-before-seen footage of the Genocide and its
political aftermath. The film, applauded by Nobel Prize laureate
Gunter Grass, has sparked debate throughout Europe. It is now
being showcased around the world on television, and in major film
festivals.
For more information about the film, read an extensive review by
Der Spiegel Magazine at:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,687449,00.html
#####
From: A. Papazian