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A tribute to a city that was lost but remains eternal
by Artsvi Bakhchinyan
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2011-11-05-a-tribute-to-a-city-that-was-lost-but-remains-eternal-
Published: Saturday November 05, 2011
Eric Nazarian with Bosnian filmmaker Aida Begic in Istanbul.
The name of Armenian-American film director, Eric Nazarian, is not
unknown to Armenia's film audiences. For three years successively, he
participated in the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival
from 2008-2010. His first feature film as writer-director, The Blue
Hour, was awarded four prizes in 2008 - The Golden Apricot for Best
Film in the Armenian Panorama, The Ecumenical Jury Award, The Prime
Minister's Award and the Diaspora Ministry's Special Award for
Directing.
It was a nice surprise to learn that Eric's next movie has been made
in Turkey, as part of an international omnibus project entitled Do Not
Forget Me, Istanbul. The premiere of this film took place at the
Istanbul Film Festival last April and is currently on the festival
circuit. In this film, seven different filmmakers present some scenes
from the life of the various ethnic minorities of Istanbul. Josephina
Markarian, a Greek-Armenian, currently living in Istanbul, is also a
part of the project.
Eric Nazarian, who was born in Armenia and lives in U.S. since
childhood, presents a personal story of his compatriot who is the
descendant of the one of oldest communities of the city on the
Bosphorus. In 18 minutes, Nazarian's film entitled "Bolis," captures
through images of everyday life, the conversations and brief encounter
between a Diaspora Armenian musician and a Turkish widow. Through
their encounter, the tragic history of one nation is unraveled through
the musician's story.
This is a simple story reminding us about the presence of the past
within the modern-day psyche of Armenians worldwide and the
responsibility of the inheritors on both sides to never forget and
speak openly about a history that has been buried but refuses to be
forgotten. My conversation with Eric Nazarian intends to reveal some
aspects of this unprecedented Armenian-Turkish cooperation...
Q. - Well, Eric, nowadays all kinds of Armenian-Turkish collaborations
are no longer surprising... but how it happened that you appeared in
this project?
EN: My friend Cigdem Mater introduced the project to me. Huseyin
Karabey the producer invited me to participate in the omnibus. The
theme of what we remember and what we force ourselves to forget is
important for me as an Armenian and as a filmmaker. The goal of the
project that was initially pitched to me was to reminding Istanbul
through these films of the past cultures that contributed to what the
city is today. These past cultures have over time been "forgotten,"
hence the title "Do Not Forget Me Istanbul." I felt my story of
Armenak's journey to Bolis (Istanbul) fit thematically. The film is
based on my feature screenplay "Bolis" that follows Armenak from Los
Angeles to Istanbul to find his grandfather's oud shop and a family
heirloom that disappeared during the Armenian Genocide.
Q. - You were born in Armenia, your parents came from Iran, now you
live in US. What is Armenian Bolis for you?
EN: When I was a child, I went to American school on weekdays and
Armenian school on weekends. Everything I learned about cinema,
literature and art I owe a tremendous gratitude to my beloved father
Haik, aunt Parik, uncle Haso and my entire family who raised me to
appreciate the cultures and arts of all nations.
My first recollection of this term "Bolis" is from my beloved
grandfather Hovhannes who would tell me these beautiful and textured
stories of all the writers and poets of Constantinople, as Istanbul
was called in the days of black and white Daguerrotype photographs. He
introduced me to Daniel Varoujan, Siamanto, Krikor Zohrab. My aunt
Parik introduced me to Komitas Vartabed. My father Haik who was a
photographer introduced me to the timeless images of Ara Guler. My
grandfather, father and aunt taught me about the amazing Armenian
heritage and culture of Bolis.
When I went back to make my film, I wanted to pay tribute to this
world of "Old Bolis" through music because cinema is an audiovisual
medium. For me, cinema is my wife. Music is my mistress. The music of
Udi Hrant Kenkulian is the essence of Istanbul Armenian blues. What
Ray Charles was to Soul and Blues, Udi Hrant is to Armenian/Turkish
music...a true legend. When I first heard him in college, I didn't
know he was blind. When I read more about his life, his music
resonated with me even more. "Srdis Vra Kar Muh Gah" is every bit as
pure and powerful as the great Blues spirituals of the Mississippi
Delta of the '30s and '40s.
The first day I docked in Istanbul, I told my assistant to take me
straight to the Sisli Armenian Cemetery where I visited Udi Hrant's
family plot and later shot a pivotal scene in the film there. It was
an honor and deeply humbling to be standing by the ground where he
rests.
Q. - I completely agree with your hero, that Istanbul is a kind of
opium, that city is very addictive.
EN: Istanbul for me is a paradox and a mystery. It's an onion I peeled
everyday knowing I would never get to its core. The city is too
complex and full of so much history. I'm not sure if it is possible to
uncover even a fraction. I arrived in Istanbul with extremely mixed
emotions.
When the plane docked, my mind fluttered with all the images of Armin
Wegner and the archive photos of the Near East Relief during the time
of the genocide: the deportations, Komitas, Siamanto, Daniel Varoujan
and all the intellectuals and members of society arrested on that
awful day. I arrived tensed up and angry but thanks to my friends and
Bolsa-Hyes, I soon realized that a part of my cultural DNA truly hails
from there.
There are certain streets in Istanbul that inspired an extremely
uncanny sense of deja-vu. I still don't know how to describe this
feeling. It felt as if I was coming home yet I knew I was still a
stranger in this city. It was a very bizarre but also very poetic
state of mind to be drifting in. I realized in this state that not
Genocide, not persecution, not politics can ever dilute or diminish
the extraordinary contributions of the Armenian people to the
architecture, culture, history, heritage, music and society of
Istanbul.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
by Artsvi Bakhchinyan
http://www.reporter.am/go/article/2011-11-05-a-tribute-to-a-city-that-was-lost-but-remains-eternal-
Published: Saturday November 05, 2011
Eric Nazarian with Bosnian filmmaker Aida Begic in Istanbul.
The name of Armenian-American film director, Eric Nazarian, is not
unknown to Armenia's film audiences. For three years successively, he
participated in the Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival
from 2008-2010. His first feature film as writer-director, The Blue
Hour, was awarded four prizes in 2008 - The Golden Apricot for Best
Film in the Armenian Panorama, The Ecumenical Jury Award, The Prime
Minister's Award and the Diaspora Ministry's Special Award for
Directing.
It was a nice surprise to learn that Eric's next movie has been made
in Turkey, as part of an international omnibus project entitled Do Not
Forget Me, Istanbul. The premiere of this film took place at the
Istanbul Film Festival last April and is currently on the festival
circuit. In this film, seven different filmmakers present some scenes
from the life of the various ethnic minorities of Istanbul. Josephina
Markarian, a Greek-Armenian, currently living in Istanbul, is also a
part of the project.
Eric Nazarian, who was born in Armenia and lives in U.S. since
childhood, presents a personal story of his compatriot who is the
descendant of the one of oldest communities of the city on the
Bosphorus. In 18 minutes, Nazarian's film entitled "Bolis," captures
through images of everyday life, the conversations and brief encounter
between a Diaspora Armenian musician and a Turkish widow. Through
their encounter, the tragic history of one nation is unraveled through
the musician's story.
This is a simple story reminding us about the presence of the past
within the modern-day psyche of Armenians worldwide and the
responsibility of the inheritors on both sides to never forget and
speak openly about a history that has been buried but refuses to be
forgotten. My conversation with Eric Nazarian intends to reveal some
aspects of this unprecedented Armenian-Turkish cooperation...
Q. - Well, Eric, nowadays all kinds of Armenian-Turkish collaborations
are no longer surprising... but how it happened that you appeared in
this project?
EN: My friend Cigdem Mater introduced the project to me. Huseyin
Karabey the producer invited me to participate in the omnibus. The
theme of what we remember and what we force ourselves to forget is
important for me as an Armenian and as a filmmaker. The goal of the
project that was initially pitched to me was to reminding Istanbul
through these films of the past cultures that contributed to what the
city is today. These past cultures have over time been "forgotten,"
hence the title "Do Not Forget Me Istanbul." I felt my story of
Armenak's journey to Bolis (Istanbul) fit thematically. The film is
based on my feature screenplay "Bolis" that follows Armenak from Los
Angeles to Istanbul to find his grandfather's oud shop and a family
heirloom that disappeared during the Armenian Genocide.
Q. - You were born in Armenia, your parents came from Iran, now you
live in US. What is Armenian Bolis for you?
EN: When I was a child, I went to American school on weekdays and
Armenian school on weekends. Everything I learned about cinema,
literature and art I owe a tremendous gratitude to my beloved father
Haik, aunt Parik, uncle Haso and my entire family who raised me to
appreciate the cultures and arts of all nations.
My first recollection of this term "Bolis" is from my beloved
grandfather Hovhannes who would tell me these beautiful and textured
stories of all the writers and poets of Constantinople, as Istanbul
was called in the days of black and white Daguerrotype photographs. He
introduced me to Daniel Varoujan, Siamanto, Krikor Zohrab. My aunt
Parik introduced me to Komitas Vartabed. My father Haik who was a
photographer introduced me to the timeless images of Ara Guler. My
grandfather, father and aunt taught me about the amazing Armenian
heritage and culture of Bolis.
When I went back to make my film, I wanted to pay tribute to this
world of "Old Bolis" through music because cinema is an audiovisual
medium. For me, cinema is my wife. Music is my mistress. The music of
Udi Hrant Kenkulian is the essence of Istanbul Armenian blues. What
Ray Charles was to Soul and Blues, Udi Hrant is to Armenian/Turkish
music...a true legend. When I first heard him in college, I didn't
know he was blind. When I read more about his life, his music
resonated with me even more. "Srdis Vra Kar Muh Gah" is every bit as
pure and powerful as the great Blues spirituals of the Mississippi
Delta of the '30s and '40s.
The first day I docked in Istanbul, I told my assistant to take me
straight to the Sisli Armenian Cemetery where I visited Udi Hrant's
family plot and later shot a pivotal scene in the film there. It was
an honor and deeply humbling to be standing by the ground where he
rests.
Q. - I completely agree with your hero, that Istanbul is a kind of
opium, that city is very addictive.
EN: Istanbul for me is a paradox and a mystery. It's an onion I peeled
everyday knowing I would never get to its core. The city is too
complex and full of so much history. I'm not sure if it is possible to
uncover even a fraction. I arrived in Istanbul with extremely mixed
emotions.
When the plane docked, my mind fluttered with all the images of Armin
Wegner and the archive photos of the Near East Relief during the time
of the genocide: the deportations, Komitas, Siamanto, Daniel Varoujan
and all the intellectuals and members of society arrested on that
awful day. I arrived tensed up and angry but thanks to my friends and
Bolsa-Hyes, I soon realized that a part of my cultural DNA truly hails
from there.
There are certain streets in Istanbul that inspired an extremely
uncanny sense of deja-vu. I still don't know how to describe this
feeling. It felt as if I was coming home yet I knew I was still a
stranger in this city. It was a very bizarre but also very poetic
state of mind to be drifting in. I realized in this state that not
Genocide, not persecution, not politics can ever dilute or diminish
the extraordinary contributions of the Armenian people to the
architecture, culture, history, heritage, music and society of
Istanbul.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress