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'ORPHANS OF THE GENOCIDE': AN INTERVIEW WITH BARED MARONIAN
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/03/27/orphans-of-the-genocide-an-interview-with-bared-maronian/
March 27, 2013
On Sat., Feb. 23, the ARF "Azadamard" Gomideh and the Armenian Youth
Federation (AYF) "Kopernik Tandourjian" Chapter of Detroit screened
four-time regional Emmy Award-winner Bared Maronian's "Orphans of the
Genocide" documentary at the Novi Middle School Auditorium in Novi,
Mich. Armenian National Committee of Michigan (ANC-MI) member Hovig
Kouyoumdjian caught up with the director for an interview after the
presentation.
AYF 'Kopernik Tandourjian' Chapter President Haigan Tcholakian
introducing Bared Maronian ***
Hovig Kouyoumdjian: Tell us about your personal and career background.
Bared Maronian: I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. I graduated
from Haigazian University and like thousands of Armenians I moved to
the United States due to the civil war that erupted in the mid-1970's.
My interest in filmmaking stems from my love of photography during my
high school and college years in Lebanon. Once I moved to Florida, I
attended Palm Beach State College of Florida and the Broadcast Career
Institute of Palm Beach.â~@¨I worked for PBS [Public Broadcasting
System] in Miami, post-producing local and national documentaries,
concerts, and business shows. I was fortunate to be a four-time
regional Emmy Award winner. One of my works, a concert by Willie
Chirino, was nominated for a Latin Grammy. Five years ago, I founded
the Armenoid Team that specializes in producing thematically Armenian
documentaries, and so far we've produced four Armenian films. â~@¨As
you've seen today my latest work is 'Orphans of the Genocide,'
a 20-minute documentary about the plight of Armenian Genocide orphans.
The seven-minute trailer of this documentary was a regional Emmy
Award nominee in the category of Historical Documentary, a Telly Award
Winner, and was a part of the NYC Filmmaker's Festival. I currently
reside in Coconut Creek, Fla., with my wife Lina and daughter Kaliana.
HK: Can you tell us more about Armenoid?
BM: The Armenoid Team is a subsidiary of Armenoid Productions, Inc. It
is an independent documentary production company. The Armenoid Team
produces primarily thematically Armenian documentaries. It consists
of media professionals who are experts in TV or film production.
HK: What got you interested in the orphans aspect of the Armenian
Genocide?
BM: The inspiration for "Orphans of the Genocide" was an article
by Robert Fisk in the Independent entitled, "Living Proof of the
Armenian Genocide," which internationalized independent researcher
Missak Kelechian's findings about a college building in Antoura,
Lebanon, that once housed 1,000 Armenian Genocide orphans destined to
Turkification by direct orders from the Ottoman authorities. After
interviewing scholars and historians on the topic, it was apparent
to us that the orphans aspect of the genocide was still uncharted
territory. ... After three years of primary and secondary source
research, the evidence of the existence of hundreds of thousands of
genocide orphans was overwhelming. The stories, both live on-camera
and prerecorded first-person accounts and supporting documents were
too many to fit in one documentary film, so we decided to publish
a companion book and incorporate some of those stories in print. We
still believe that what we discovered is only the tip of the iceberg...
HK: What kind of difficulties did you face in making this documentary?
BM: The main difficulty we faced throughout those three years was
financial difficulties. Although we had generous seed money to jump
start the project donated to us by the Bezikian family, without which
we couldn't have started this project, at times we had to stall work.
Nevertheless, with the help of other generous supporters we were able
to bring our project to fruition.
Bared Maronian while filming 'Orphans of the Genocide' in Yerevan HK:
When do you intend to release the documentary?
BM: We are in negotiations with a few TV stations to air "Orphans of
the Genocide" as early as March 2013.
HK: As we approach the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
how would you comment on the state of genocide-related documentary
filmmaking? What should be done to ensure global recognition of
the genocide?
BM: At Armenoid, our ultimate goal is to spread genocide awareness
and prevention by way of educational entertainment. Documentary
film production is an exemplary educational tool. Not to undermine
the crucial importance of a good book or a great novel in telling a
historical story or a unique human experience, the documentary film
has a larger palette of creative elements to put to good use. Besides
narrating the story with an authoritative-impressive voice, a
documentary enhances the delivery of the story with related visuals
and complementing music or song, thus capturing the viewer's attention
and relaying the message, which in this case is the complex concept
of genocide, its awareness and its prevention. In the last 10 years,
a good number of genocide-related Armenian and foreign filmmakers
have produced a number of quality documentaries on this topic.
Now that we are at the doorsteps of the Armenian Genocide's 100th
anniversary, we should use this educational tool to its fullest and
encourage both professional filmmakers and newbies to tell genocide
stories in compelling documentaries.
HK: Any future plans?
BM: Our next project is under the working title of "Women of 1915,"
on one hand dealing with the plight of the Armenian women during the
genocide, and on the other, putting all of those non-Armenian women who
came to the rescue of their sisters on pedestals. This unprecedented
phenomenon that defied all physical and social boundaries of the
time paved the way to a sisterhood that was a major aspect of the
perpetuation of the Armenians as a nation.
To produce these documentaries we dedicate our knowledge, expertise,
and time. That's our contribution. And what we expect from the public
is to continue to encourage us morally and financially. Without the
generous donations of our supporters, the "Orphans of the Genocide"
project wouldn't have been possible. We thank them all from the bottom
of our hearts. Similarly, "Women of 1915â~@³ needs the financial
support of good-hearted supporters, be they individuals, organizations,
or corporations. We have a set of partnership programs available to our
supporters. Interested parties may e-mail us at [email protected]
for more information.
HK: What is your message to the Armenians of Michigan, and especially
to the youth?
BM: The Armenians of Michigan are one of the oldest communities in
the country. Two years ago we had the honor of interviewing a son of
Michigan, the late Dr. Jack Kevorkian, and a daughter of Michigan,
author Mae Derdarian, who are two integral parts of "Orphans of
the Genocide." The former was the son of a genocide orphan, and the
latter is the author of the novel Vergeen, which tells the story of
a 13-year-old genocide orphan girl.
I would like to thank the Michigan ARF "Azadamard" Chapter and the
local AYF "Kopernik Tandourjian" Chapter for organizing the screening
of "Orphans of the Genocide" at the exquisite auditorium of Novi Middle
School. â~@¨About 300 community members attended the screening event
and among them were a noticeable number of high school and college
students. Despite the 26 degree weather, extended families arrived,
with grandparents, grandchildren, and cousins. I also spotted a young
family of four--mom, dad, a toddler, and a newborn in the stroller. I
couldn't have expected stronger support than that. Thank you, Detroit!
Readers interested in screening Orphans of the Genocide for their
community or university can contact Bared Maronian by e-mailing
[email protected]. To learn more about the AYF and ANC-MI, visit
www.facebook.com/AYFDetroit and www.facebook.com/ANCofMI.
http://www.armenianweekly.com/2013/03/27/orphans-of-the-genocide-an-interview-with-bared-maronian/
March 27, 2013
On Sat., Feb. 23, the ARF "Azadamard" Gomideh and the Armenian Youth
Federation (AYF) "Kopernik Tandourjian" Chapter of Detroit screened
four-time regional Emmy Award-winner Bared Maronian's "Orphans of the
Genocide" documentary at the Novi Middle School Auditorium in Novi,
Mich. Armenian National Committee of Michigan (ANC-MI) member Hovig
Kouyoumdjian caught up with the director for an interview after the
presentation.
AYF 'Kopernik Tandourjian' Chapter President Haigan Tcholakian
introducing Bared Maronian ***
Hovig Kouyoumdjian: Tell us about your personal and career background.
Bared Maronian: I was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. I graduated
from Haigazian University and like thousands of Armenians I moved to
the United States due to the civil war that erupted in the mid-1970's.
My interest in filmmaking stems from my love of photography during my
high school and college years in Lebanon. Once I moved to Florida, I
attended Palm Beach State College of Florida and the Broadcast Career
Institute of Palm Beach.â~@¨I worked for PBS [Public Broadcasting
System] in Miami, post-producing local and national documentaries,
concerts, and business shows. I was fortunate to be a four-time
regional Emmy Award winner. One of my works, a concert by Willie
Chirino, was nominated for a Latin Grammy. Five years ago, I founded
the Armenoid Team that specializes in producing thematically Armenian
documentaries, and so far we've produced four Armenian films. â~@¨As
you've seen today my latest work is 'Orphans of the Genocide,'
a 20-minute documentary about the plight of Armenian Genocide orphans.
The seven-minute trailer of this documentary was a regional Emmy
Award nominee in the category of Historical Documentary, a Telly Award
Winner, and was a part of the NYC Filmmaker's Festival. I currently
reside in Coconut Creek, Fla., with my wife Lina and daughter Kaliana.
HK: Can you tell us more about Armenoid?
BM: The Armenoid Team is a subsidiary of Armenoid Productions, Inc. It
is an independent documentary production company. The Armenoid Team
produces primarily thematically Armenian documentaries. It consists
of media professionals who are experts in TV or film production.
HK: What got you interested in the orphans aspect of the Armenian
Genocide?
BM: The inspiration for "Orphans of the Genocide" was an article
by Robert Fisk in the Independent entitled, "Living Proof of the
Armenian Genocide," which internationalized independent researcher
Missak Kelechian's findings about a college building in Antoura,
Lebanon, that once housed 1,000 Armenian Genocide orphans destined to
Turkification by direct orders from the Ottoman authorities. After
interviewing scholars and historians on the topic, it was apparent
to us that the orphans aspect of the genocide was still uncharted
territory. ... After three years of primary and secondary source
research, the evidence of the existence of hundreds of thousands of
genocide orphans was overwhelming. The stories, both live on-camera
and prerecorded first-person accounts and supporting documents were
too many to fit in one documentary film, so we decided to publish
a companion book and incorporate some of those stories in print. We
still believe that what we discovered is only the tip of the iceberg...
HK: What kind of difficulties did you face in making this documentary?
BM: The main difficulty we faced throughout those three years was
financial difficulties. Although we had generous seed money to jump
start the project donated to us by the Bezikian family, without which
we couldn't have started this project, at times we had to stall work.
Nevertheless, with the help of other generous supporters we were able
to bring our project to fruition.
Bared Maronian while filming 'Orphans of the Genocide' in Yerevan HK:
When do you intend to release the documentary?
BM: We are in negotiations with a few TV stations to air "Orphans of
the Genocide" as early as March 2013.
HK: As we approach the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide,
how would you comment on the state of genocide-related documentary
filmmaking? What should be done to ensure global recognition of
the genocide?
BM: At Armenoid, our ultimate goal is to spread genocide awareness
and prevention by way of educational entertainment. Documentary
film production is an exemplary educational tool. Not to undermine
the crucial importance of a good book or a great novel in telling a
historical story or a unique human experience, the documentary film
has a larger palette of creative elements to put to good use. Besides
narrating the story with an authoritative-impressive voice, a
documentary enhances the delivery of the story with related visuals
and complementing music or song, thus capturing the viewer's attention
and relaying the message, which in this case is the complex concept
of genocide, its awareness and its prevention. In the last 10 years,
a good number of genocide-related Armenian and foreign filmmakers
have produced a number of quality documentaries on this topic.
Now that we are at the doorsteps of the Armenian Genocide's 100th
anniversary, we should use this educational tool to its fullest and
encourage both professional filmmakers and newbies to tell genocide
stories in compelling documentaries.
HK: Any future plans?
BM: Our next project is under the working title of "Women of 1915,"
on one hand dealing with the plight of the Armenian women during the
genocide, and on the other, putting all of those non-Armenian women who
came to the rescue of their sisters on pedestals. This unprecedented
phenomenon that defied all physical and social boundaries of the
time paved the way to a sisterhood that was a major aspect of the
perpetuation of the Armenians as a nation.
To produce these documentaries we dedicate our knowledge, expertise,
and time. That's our contribution. And what we expect from the public
is to continue to encourage us morally and financially. Without the
generous donations of our supporters, the "Orphans of the Genocide"
project wouldn't have been possible. We thank them all from the bottom
of our hearts. Similarly, "Women of 1915â~@³ needs the financial
support of good-hearted supporters, be they individuals, organizations,
or corporations. We have a set of partnership programs available to our
supporters. Interested parties may e-mail us at [email protected]
for more information.
HK: What is your message to the Armenians of Michigan, and especially
to the youth?
BM: The Armenians of Michigan are one of the oldest communities in
the country. Two years ago we had the honor of interviewing a son of
Michigan, the late Dr. Jack Kevorkian, and a daughter of Michigan,
author Mae Derdarian, who are two integral parts of "Orphans of
the Genocide." The former was the son of a genocide orphan, and the
latter is the author of the novel Vergeen, which tells the story of
a 13-year-old genocide orphan girl.
I would like to thank the Michigan ARF "Azadamard" Chapter and the
local AYF "Kopernik Tandourjian" Chapter for organizing the screening
of "Orphans of the Genocide" at the exquisite auditorium of Novi Middle
School. â~@¨About 300 community members attended the screening event
and among them were a noticeable number of high school and college
students. Despite the 26 degree weather, extended families arrived,
with grandparents, grandchildren, and cousins. I also spotted a young
family of four--mom, dad, a toddler, and a newborn in the stroller. I
couldn't have expected stronger support than that. Thank you, Detroit!
Readers interested in screening Orphans of the Genocide for their
community or university can contact Bared Maronian by e-mailing
[email protected]. To learn more about the AYF and ANC-MI, visit
www.facebook.com/AYFDetroit and www.facebook.com/ANCofMI.