Turkish-Armenian spring to blossom in a joint documentary

Friday, October 24, 2008
CANSU ÇAMLIBEL
ANKARA – Turkish Daily News

After September’s football diplomacy between Ankara and Yerevan marked the start of a new era, filmmakers from the two nations have come together to produce a documentary film conveying their hope for a continued thaw.

The group of Turkish and Armenian filmmakers came together to make a documentary film based on the story of the Aras River, which runs along the border between the two countries. The film depicts the end of winter and blossoming of spring along the shared border, as a metaphor for hope for a continued thaw in relations between the two countries.

Armenian film director Gevorg Nazarian and his Turkish counterpart, Eray Mert, hope to be nominated for an Oscar in the documentary film category, as well as attract international attention at international festivals such as Cannes.

The documentary project, which is sponsored by the Turkish-Armenian Business Development Council, or TABDC, and the Armenian Marketing Association, takes its inspiration from real-life stories that have been blossoming around the Aras River for decades.

The Turkish Daily News has learned the U.S. Embassy in Ankara is also supporting the project, which adds an important dimension reflecting Washington’s enthusiasm for the long-awaited Turkish-Armenian rapprochement.

Turkish and Armenian production teams came together for a kick-off meeting last week in Ankara, where directors Nazarian and Eray exchanged views together with their screenwriters. According to the scenario, which is still being drafted, the transition from winter to summer in the Aras River region and the melting of the frozen waters will be the theme, symbolizing the ice-breaking efforts between the two nations.

Shooting is expected to start as the first snow falls on the Aras River. The acting will be done by ordinary Turkish and Armenian villagers from both sides of the river. Values shared by both nations will be detailed throughout the film with an effort to remind viewers of the shared history and to try to break down prejudices.

The famous folksong “Yellow Bride,” which is claimed by both Turks and Armenians, is being considered as the soundtrack for the film. “Yellow Bride” was also played at the dinner hosted by Armenian President Serge Sarkisian during President Abdullah Gül’s one-day trip to Yerevan on Sept. 6.

While Gül and Sarkisian took the first political steps toward solving the problems between the two countries, they agreed their efforts should be supported by social and cultural projects to prepare both societies for historic reconciliation. The joint documentary project is considered among the first significant steps in this direction.

The co-chairman of the TABDC, Kaan Soyak, told the TDN the documentary would display that the sealed border between Armenia and Turkey had not been sufficient to cut ties between people.

“On both sides we have similar stories, similar lives, similar people. If they are given the chance to cross borders and meet each other, they will find out that the border was just a symbolic one. Our documentary project will show how meaningless it is to close down borders,” he added.

Soyak expressed his belief that the documentary would encourage political leaders to rapidly proceed in opening borders and removing barriers.

Turkish Daily News

24.10.2008