My Genocide film will draw Turks’ criticism, says US-Armenian director

Sona Tatoyan, an ethnic Armenian film director residing in the United States, will collaborate with an Indian colleague, Shekhar Kapur, on an Armenian Genocide film project.

In an interview with the Turkish Radikal, Tatoyan unveiled her plan for producing the screen version of the book Three Apples Fell from Heaven. “The Armenian Diaspora will condemn and the Turks will criticize me for speaking of Genocide,” she was quoted as saying.

The interview, in an abridged form, is presented below.

“When did you learn about the 1915 events? How old were you then?”

“It was just a few days ago I Iearned a story about myself. I was five when we were in Aleppo; my sister was three years old then. She wasn’t baptized yet, so I would often call her a Turk to tease her. My cousin has told me this. So it is a long time I have been realizing the idea behind Genocide.”

“Your family is from Aleppo, but you were born and have grown up in the United States, haven’t you?”

“Yes, and that is why my life is split into two halves. I would spend my summer vacations with my mother’s family in one of the villages of Aleppo. My mother’s aunt residing in Aleppo was very cautious about knowing history and remembering the Genocide. I have heard many stories from her.”

“Was she a survivor?”

“Her mother and father, who were my grandparents, lived in Ayntap then. They escaped the Genocide by fleeing to Aleppo. I was a very curious child. I would get the most correct answers to my questions from my aunt. And my biggest question was this, ‘We are Armenians, so why do we live in Aleppo? Why are there Arabs surrounding us?' And she would try to answer. But once my holidays were over, I was back to Indiana. I would delve into history books in search of what my aunt had told me, but I wouldn’t find anything.”

“How did you change mentally when collecting information?”

“I had problems with my Armenian identity for quite a long time. I was an American, as a matter of fact. I spent most of the year in the United States. Then I would leave for Aleppo. Short trousers were banned there, so I didn’t like my rest. That is why I hated travelling to Aleppo. But my mother would spend a whole winter, dreaming to see her family in Aleppo. I was an American there, and upon returning to school, I would turn into an Armenian girl with black eyebrows and a strange name. So I hated being an Armenian. Any child wishes to belong to some place; I was from nowhere.”

“You have turned the book into a film and are the director, aren’t you?”

“Yes. After completing the book, I gave it to José Rivera, my husband, and made him read it. He was very much moved. We sent it to Shekhar Kapur, our friend in India. And we used the time to make a short trip with Micheline [Aharonian], physically and mentally.”


“And how was that?”

“We travelled to Deir ez-Zor and Ressulain together. And I saw the bones of my ancestors. Bones would emerge from the soil there in the literal sense of the word. At that moment I decided to visit Turkey to see Kharberd, which was depicted at the book’s beginning.”

“And you are still angry …”

“That’s the least to say. The map indications of Urfa, Ayntap and Alaziz reminded me of a horror film. So my husband, Micheline and I hired a car to visit Bayazet. The anger, however, changed into something strange.”

“Into what?”

“One night we were having tea with friends whom we had met in Bayazet. Someone said to me, ‘Why did you leave us? I wish you hadn’t gone.’ I didn’t know what to say. I felt at that moment that I belong to this land. I felt that the language and foods were familiar to me. ”

“What will you feel should Turkey apologize for the Genocide?”

“Relief. If it keeps not doing so … I don’t know. I am trying to explain that to the Armenian Diaspora. They are pushing Turkey to a stronger side to hear that word by all means. The Armenian nationalists’ psychology is that of a victim and is built on grief. But the situation of Turkish nationalists is much more deplorable.”

“How come?”

“Escaping the truth for years, they repeatedly insist that nothing of the kind happened. Isn’t that tiresome? How long can that go on?. The Armenian community criticizes me for the film. They say the attempted reconciliation with Turkey is disgraceful. I am sure the Turks will criticize me for recounting the history of Genocide. So this is why, I think, the film is very important. ”