Director Fatih Akın visits Armenia
Akın, who has recently made headlines with his last film ‘The Cut’, visited an exhibition at the museum in Yerevan. Akın then paid a visit to the Genocide Memorial. The visit took place following a special screening of ‘The Cut’ on January 30 in Yerevan. Fatih Akın also answered questions from journalists.
Stating that he had previously visited the museum, Akın added that he had had the chance to speak with Hayk Demoyan, the director of the museum.
Akın said that his first visit on the occasion of his participation in the Golden Apricot Film Festival five years ago had left a very strong impression on him and eventually led to him making the film ‘The Cut’. Akın added: “I had a few points of departure in making this film. I am the child of a family that was forced to migrate away from Turkey because of restrictions on freedom of expression. This continues to be a problem to some extent. In the past, it was impossible to pronounce the word ‘Genocide’ in Turkey, now it is to a certain extent. It is my belief that the freedom of expression is the greatest value that must be protected. My aim was to show the existence of a ‘civilian’ movement in Turkey that developed in he aftermath of Hrant Dink’s assassination and accepts the Armenian Genocide. This movement was not political, it had a civilian basis, and I was part of this movement. I thought that, telling Nazaret’s story would help ask new questions regarding this issue, and would help consolidate our movement. Across the world, most people do not know much about 1915. If the film touches your heart, then you will seek to find out more about the events related in the film. Our aim with this film was to examine questions such as ‘Why should we remember?’ and ‘Why should we know about this event?’ This does not mean taking sides. I believe that ‘recognition’ is the path to prevent repetition.”
The Yerevan Genocide Museum, located on the same site as the Genocide Memorial (Dzidzernagapert), is undergoing a comprehensive renovation for expansion. The museum was closed in 2014 for this work and currently accepts visitors only to a small section. The museum will be opened in its renovated state in April.
