Armenian Genocide Lecture Series Kicks Off

ARMENIAN GENOCIDE LECTURE SERIES KICKS OFF

The Collegian, CSU Fresno, CA
Feb 13 2015

Posted by: Dolores Peralta Feb 12, 2015

Chatting at an hors d’oeuvres reception, a group of people waited for
the first illustrated lecture of the “The Armenian Genocide in Film:
Theoretical and Comparative Perspectives” series presented by the 11th
Henry K. Khanzadian Kazan visiting professor of Armenian Studies at
Fresno State, Dr. Myrna Douzjian.

Douzjian, earned her doctorate in comparative literature at UCLA. She
will give a total of three illustrated lectures during the spring
semester at Fresno State.

The first discussion Wednesday night was “The Genocide as Allegory
in Serge Avedikian’s Chienne d’Histoire.” “Chienne d’Histoire” is a
short animation film that makes no mention of the Armenian Genocide.

Instead, the film depicts the eradication of stray dogs in the city
of Constantinople in 1910.

The film won a Short Film Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival
in 2010.

Avedikian did not deliberately intend to represent the Armenian
Genocide in his film. It was pointed out to him after the movie was
made, Douzjian said.

“People who know about the genocide, and studied it, can clearly
see the resemblance, and it just makes you more emotional about it,”
said Marine Vardanyan, president of the Armenian Students Organization.

The film represents an earlier historical event. The streets
were overrun with stray dogs in Constantinople in 1910. The newly
established government decided to deport the dogs to a deserted island
away from the city to starve to death.

“The movie really brought out shivers on me. I know they are not
humans. They are dogs, but you can really see the parallel. The
scene where they deported the stray dogs into the deserted island —
with the Armenian Genocide they deported the people in the desert,”
Vardanyan said.

Fresno State student Josie Osorno connected the film with the Armenian
Genocide only because of the title of the lecture.

“Honestly, I do not know a lot about the genocide. If I had watched
the movie before, I could have also connected it with the Jewish
Holocaust,” Osorno said. “I think the film is symbolic and open to
interpretation depending on your background. There is still a message
getting across.”

Douzjian said these types of events are significant to the community,
because it exposes them to underrepresented or lesser known filmic
representations of the genocide.

“As an Armenian, this type of event speaks to my heart, and it
is something I want to get involved in. For students, in general,
it is good to keep an open mind, definitely learning about other
cultures and other backgrounds and a historical event like this one,”
Vardanyan said.

She encouraged students to attend the lectures. She said it is a
good cultural educational experience, especially because the 100th
anniversary of the genocide is approaching.

“The turnout was fantastic. It will be nicer to see more students,
you know: students who are generally interested in film. I think they
could get a lot out of this. You do not need to be interested in the
Armenian Genocide. This is more about how we read and interpret film
than it is about historical accounting of the genocide,” Douzjian said.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress