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The 'Legacy of Silence' in Turkey Is Subject of French Documentary
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, NEWS | FEBRUARY 15, 2015 1:39 PM
________________________________
By Alin K. Gregorian
Mirror-Spectator Staff
PARIS -- The names might be Turkish. The attitude might be Turkish. But
the heart is Armenian. For young French documentary filmmakers, Anna
Benjamin and Guillaume Clere, the question of identity and especially
national identity became a focal point for their documentary, "Turkey,
the Legacy of Silence."
The shock for the viewer -- and even more so for the subjects of
"Legacy of Silence" -- is finding out that they are Armenian, people
they have learned were traitors.
Clere and Benjamin were studying journalism together when they became
interested in the subject. Benjamin's maternal ancestors fled the
Genocide.
For the past two years, Benjamin and Clere wanted to give a voice to
the descendants of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The two are
close to reaching their goal: achieving a documentary and a web-series
relating the story of four Turks who discovered their Armenian
origins... and who decide to break the silence regarding their heritage.
To finish their project, including have the proper English, French and
Armenian translations, the duo has launched a crowd-funding page in
France.
Through the portraits of Nazli, Armen, Dogukan and Yasar, the "Legacy
of Silence" reveals the weight of silence which still burdens
thousands of Armenian families in Turkey. After a century of silence,
history is reappearing: multiple families are now proclaiming the
Armenian heritage of their ancestors. By giving a face to the million
of descendants of these Islamized Armenians, Turkey, the Legacy of
Silence is a worldwide call to the duty of remembrance. Today, despite
risks, fear and shame, Nazli, Armen, Dogukan and Yasar have the
courage to break the taboo on their Armenian roots and show their
faces
The film will be released internationally for the commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide in April: on TV as a documentary film, and on the
Internet as a multi-episode web-series. Additionally, the public will
be invited to offer testimony on the website. The documentary arouses
interest : during April it will be broadcast in France (Paris,
Valence, Vienne) and in United States (starting in Glendale).
For the project, Benjamin and Clere went to Turkey four times. With
the help of their producer, Découpages, they obtained several
guarantees such as the broadcast of French channel Toute l'Histoire
and a writing and production help allowed by the CNC (Centre National
du Cinéma et de l'image animée).
Said Benjamin, "My mother is Armenian. But I know only a little about
the immigration of my maternal grandparents to France, or their life
in Turkey. My grandfather was from a village near Ismit. He fled with
his family, but was lost in the exodus, before being welcomed by an
orphanage in Greece and then another in the French suburb of Meudon,
near Paris."
She added, "My grandmother was conceived in Istanbul and was born on
the road to exile. My grandparents preferred to forget, in order to
dispel memories that were too painful. So I have decided to tell a
part of what they lived, but in remaining connected to the present.
Further, I was in Turkey once before to make this film and I really
wanted to know the country where my grandparents came from but not
just as a tourist. I wanted to restitute the memory of the Genocide in
modern-day Turkey, and to initiate dialogue between the communities.
And talking about Islamized Armenians is a very important way to
successfully do this. For it is my belief that the struggle for
recognition of the Genocide is not that of one people against another,
but in fact a struggle against ignorance."
And Clere added, "For me this story is really incredible. People
discover [their identity] in Turkey. They learn that Armenians are
traitors. One guy was a schoolteacher and he taught that Armenians are
traitors. When he came back to the house, his son asked him why did
you tell me."
The stories have a similarity in that the narrators find out what it
means to be the hated "other."
One character in the documentary is an ethnic Armenian man who was
adopted into a Kurdish family as a 5 year old. Now 100, he remembers
still that he is Armenian but is a devout Muslim, like the family into
which he was taken.
"You can't hide the past. Human beings need to know where they come
from," said Clere.
Clere himself has a diverse background, growing up in Lebanon,
Portugal, Singapore and Mexico, among other places, as his parents
traveled for work. In addition, he said his grandfather had been
involved in the war of Algiers and that he had never spoken to him
about it, making it a family secret, almost.
Clere credited Benjamin's connections to the Armenian community in
France for being able to reach out to members of the community in
Turkey.
The filmmakers traveled during the making of the documentary to one
town, Muradiye, where the Armenian great-grandfather of one subject
came from. The town's churches were destroyed and homes were built on
top of the cemetery.
Clere added that during their voyage in Turkey, especially when they
were meeting with Kurds, many of them "were saying 'we are sorry for
what happened.'"
To make a donation to the project, visit
http://www.kisskissbankbank.com/en/projects/turkey-the-legacy-of-silence
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2015/02/15/the-legacy-of-silence-in-turkey-is-subject-of-french-documentary/
ARMENIAN GENOCIDE, NEWS | FEBRUARY 15, 2015 1:39 PM
________________________________
By Alin K. Gregorian
Mirror-Spectator Staff
PARIS -- The names might be Turkish. The attitude might be Turkish. But
the heart is Armenian. For young French documentary filmmakers, Anna
Benjamin and Guillaume Clere, the question of identity and especially
national identity became a focal point for their documentary, "Turkey,
the Legacy of Silence."
The shock for the viewer -- and even more so for the subjects of
"Legacy of Silence" -- is finding out that they are Armenian, people
they have learned were traitors.
Clere and Benjamin were studying journalism together when they became
interested in the subject. Benjamin's maternal ancestors fled the
Genocide.
For the past two years, Benjamin and Clere wanted to give a voice to
the descendants of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide. The two are
close to reaching their goal: achieving a documentary and a web-series
relating the story of four Turks who discovered their Armenian
origins... and who decide to break the silence regarding their heritage.
To finish their project, including have the proper English, French and
Armenian translations, the duo has launched a crowd-funding page in
France.
Through the portraits of Nazli, Armen, Dogukan and Yasar, the "Legacy
of Silence" reveals the weight of silence which still burdens
thousands of Armenian families in Turkey. After a century of silence,
history is reappearing: multiple families are now proclaiming the
Armenian heritage of their ancestors. By giving a face to the million
of descendants of these Islamized Armenians, Turkey, the Legacy of
Silence is a worldwide call to the duty of remembrance. Today, despite
risks, fear and shame, Nazli, Armen, Dogukan and Yasar have the
courage to break the taboo on their Armenian roots and show their
faces
The film will be released internationally for the commemoration of the
Armenian Genocide in April: on TV as a documentary film, and on the
Internet as a multi-episode web-series. Additionally, the public will
be invited to offer testimony on the website. The documentary arouses
interest : during April it will be broadcast in France (Paris,
Valence, Vienne) and in United States (starting in Glendale).
For the project, Benjamin and Clere went to Turkey four times. With
the help of their producer, Découpages, they obtained several
guarantees such as the broadcast of French channel Toute l'Histoire
and a writing and production help allowed by the CNC (Centre National
du Cinéma et de l'image animée).
Said Benjamin, "My mother is Armenian. But I know only a little about
the immigration of my maternal grandparents to France, or their life
in Turkey. My grandfather was from a village near Ismit. He fled with
his family, but was lost in the exodus, before being welcomed by an
orphanage in Greece and then another in the French suburb of Meudon,
near Paris."
She added, "My grandmother was conceived in Istanbul and was born on
the road to exile. My grandparents preferred to forget, in order to
dispel memories that were too painful. So I have decided to tell a
part of what they lived, but in remaining connected to the present.
Further, I was in Turkey once before to make this film and I really
wanted to know the country where my grandparents came from but not
just as a tourist. I wanted to restitute the memory of the Genocide in
modern-day Turkey, and to initiate dialogue between the communities.
And talking about Islamized Armenians is a very important way to
successfully do this. For it is my belief that the struggle for
recognition of the Genocide is not that of one people against another,
but in fact a struggle against ignorance."
And Clere added, "For me this story is really incredible. People
discover [their identity] in Turkey. They learn that Armenians are
traitors. One guy was a schoolteacher and he taught that Armenians are
traitors. When he came back to the house, his son asked him why did
you tell me."
The stories have a similarity in that the narrators find out what it
means to be the hated "other."
One character in the documentary is an ethnic Armenian man who was
adopted into a Kurdish family as a 5 year old. Now 100, he remembers
still that he is Armenian but is a devout Muslim, like the family into
which he was taken.
"You can't hide the past. Human beings need to know where they come
from," said Clere.
Clere himself has a diverse background, growing up in Lebanon,
Portugal, Singapore and Mexico, among other places, as his parents
traveled for work. In addition, he said his grandfather had been
involved in the war of Algiers and that he had never spoken to him
about it, making it a family secret, almost.
Clere credited Benjamin's connections to the Armenian community in
France for being able to reach out to members of the community in
Turkey.
The filmmakers traveled during the making of the documentary to one
town, Muradiye, where the Armenian great-grandfather of one subject
came from. The town's churches were destroyed and homes were built on
top of the cemetery.
Clere added that during their voyage in Turkey, especially when they
were meeting with Kurds, many of them "were saying 'we are sorry for
what happened.'"
To make a donation to the project, visit
http://www.kisskissbankbank.com/en/projects/turkey-the-legacy-of-silence
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2015/02/15/the-legacy-of-silence-in-turkey-is-subject-of-french-documentary/