Film on Genocide may be screened at Istanbul festival

PanARMENIAN.Net - Nubar Alexanian, 62, has spent the past 35 years working as a photojournalist and filmmaker. He’s traveled to more than 40 countries shooting for magazines such as Life, Newsweek, Time, National Geographic, Fortune and Geo, The Armenian Mirror-Spectator reports.

He has published five books and rubbed elbows with some of the most influential people throughout the musical world like Paul Simon, Wynton Marsalis and Garth Brooks.

Alexanian’s daughter, Abby, 24, is a recent graduate of Vassar College. Over the past decade, she has spent summers and vacations working on her dad’s still photography and film sets.

Together, they are a father-daughter team uniquely positioned to make a film that speaks to the challenges that Armenian families face today.

The Alexanians’ film is titled, “Journey to Armenia: Three Generations from Genocide.” It is the story of how a young woman’s curiosity propels her reluctant father to join her in finally confronting their family’s dark past and discovering how the denial of the 1915 Armenian Genocide affects them today.

The Alexanians explain that the film is different than other films of a similar variety. “There are no others I have seen about the effects of denial and the silence that has incurred over three generations,” said Nubar Alexanian. “It’s a feature length documentary about the scars of silence and how a staggering act of inhumanity has forever changed what it means to be Armenian.”

The Alexanians have set a release date of December 2014. The film will run 55-75 minutes and they have added Errol Morris to their production team. Morris’ film, “The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara,” won the Academy Award in 2004 for Best Documentary Feature.

Nubar Alexanian hopes to share not only his own family’s perspective, but also the shared experiences of those of Armenian heritage.

“The film tells a story that is deeply personal but also reflects the intergenerational experiences of immigrant families in America,” he said. “It explores larger questions about the devastating effects of denial, the scars of silence and the healing power of curiosity. It echoes the story of families all over the world who suffer tragedies, flee, create new lives with old traditions and search for their place and search for their place in a heritage they only half understand.”

The film incorporates DVD home video footage of Armenians visiting their ancestral land, shown over the past decade by Aroyan, who has been guiding tour groups for more than 20 years. The Alexanians have big plans for the film and hope to show it in movie theaters, film festivals, television and international broadcasts. The International Istanbul Film Festival has already expressed an interest.

“Beyond that, we plan to market our film for home viewing with a special emphasis on educational venues,” Nubar Alexanian said.