The Blunt Post Media
For Immediate Release
Friday, December 10, 2021
Media Contact: Vic Gerami
310.880.8563
[email protected]
Entrepreneur
Couple – Creators of BuyArmenian.com – Join
Washington
D.C. Attorney & Genocide-Prevention Advocate as Newest Members of Motherland
Production Team
Lilit Dolkarian Odabashian, Dr. Nishan
Odabashian and Jacob Bournazian,
Esq.,
member of the Knights
of Vartan genocide-education and
prevention organization, now on board with Motherland’s
select group of filmmakers and human rights leaders that includes Mark
Geragos and
Sam Kbushyan
‘Because there’s painfully little
coverage of last year’s events in Artsakh and the current situation facing the
Armenian people, helping to produce a rare and globally important documentary
film such as Motherland
is more than a privilege—for myself and my husband, Nishan, it is a moral
imperative.’
—
Lilit Dolkarian Odabashian
LOS
ANGELES—Three prominent leaders
in the Armenian American community, Lilit Dolkarian Odabashian, Dr. Nishan
Odabashian, and Attorney Jacob Bournazian, have teamed up with the acclaimed
producers of Motherland,
a much-anticipated, feature-length documentary film
that’s expected to blow the lid off of Azerbaijan’s concerted campaign of
violence, deception and burgeoning genocide against the Armenian civilians of Artsakh.
Lilit Dolkarian Odabashian and Dr. Nishan
Odabashian, who in addition to their new roles as film producers, are founders
of the popular marketplace, BuyArmenian.com,
are supporting the production of filmmaker-journalist and Los Angeles-based
national radio host, Vic Gerami’s penetrating investigation into the global
community’s impotent response to war crimes being committed on a daily basis by
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s military as enabled and augmented by a
cadre of regional allies led by Turkish forces under the control of Pres. Recep
Tayyip Erdoğan.
Attorney Jacob Bournazian will assume the
role of contributing producer for the film. Mr. Bournazian’s work with Knights
of Vartan as an indefatigable defender of human rights and communities under
threat of genocide make him a uniquely qualified and energetic new member of
the Motherland
team.
“Motherland
is now in post-production, and without giving away our story, I can confidently
say this film is turning out to be a chilling, visual human drama that pierces
an opaque and terrifying situation in Artsakh,” says director and executive
producer, Vic Gerami.
“The additions of Lilit
and Dr. Odabashian as executive producers plus Jacob Bournazian also joining
our stellar group of film producers, I’m more confident than ever that we’ll be
releasing an important work of documentary journalism that could change lives
by helping to grow the number of ordinary people around the world who
understand that genocide is happening today in Artsakh.”
Following Azerbaijan’s and Turkey’s attack
on the independent Republic of Artsakh during the COVID-19 pandemic and the
onset of profoundly negative impacts to the economies of Artsakh and Armenia,
the Odabashians set out to help their motherland by creating an online
marketplace for goods made in Armenia. Among the unique, quality-made wares
available at the couple’s buyarmenian.com
marketplace are gorgeous Armenian-made wearable fashions, striking works of
art, irresistible and authentic Armenian foods, home goods, and much more. The
couple’s primary aim is to help improve the local economy by opening new
markets for Armenian products—while also creating jobs in Armenia and enriching
economic activity in importing countries, such as the U.S.
“At the same time, we’re giving the world
a taste of authentic Armenian culture,” says Dr. Odabashian. “The result is a
vast and comprehensive online department store which has over one-thousand
Armenian vendors and close to ten-thousand unique products from various
industries. When my wife and business partner, Lilit and I learned that, in a
similar spirit to what prompted us to establish buyarmenian.com, there was a
film project underway to help shine a light on and to alleviate the existential
challenges facing Armenian families in Artsakh and Armenia, we knew we wanted
to be a part of Motherland,
the film.”
Lilit Odabashian
added that it’s “important and noteworthy” that Motherland has the
support of many prominent elected officials, dignitaries, and organizations in
the U.S. and beyond.
The couple explains that far from being a
hard decision to make, joining the team producing a film to which none other
than the city of Los Angeles has seen fit to grant support felt
intuitively right. Likewise, multiple leading members of Congress have granted
interviews that will feature prominently in Motherland.
Lilit and Dr. Nishan Odabashian say
they’re privileged and blessed to have the opportunity and resources to be part
of making this important film.
According to Motherland’s
producers, front-and-center and even more compellingly than the film’s list of
high-profile supporters, participants and willing interviewees – among them
Congressman Adam Schiff (D–California) and Sen. Bob Mendez (D–New Jersey) – the
real attraction that draws to it passionate support is the desperate need for
sunlight to reveal the scale and the savagery of murders being committed in
Artsakh by oil- and gas-wealthy Azerbaijan, as well as ever-present Turkey and
both countries’ regional and strategic allies.
Lilit and Dr. Odabashian share positive
feelings about doing their part to help the current situation in Artsakh. Newly
minted Motherland contributing producer, Jacob Bournazian, is similarly
enthused about the cinematic human rights effort.
“This film contributes to America’s awareness of
the ongoing genocidal government actions by Turkey and Azerbaijan in their
October, 2020 war against the Armenians in Artsakh,” Bournazian says. “The
facts need to be reported to the American public and this film provides the
facts Americans need to know.
Motherland, he says, will turn on floodlights to reveal a
terrifying new technological innovation for those who see genocide as a
legitimate foreign policy.
“For the
first time in human history we saw the massacre of humans by machines. Genocide
by machines, if left unchecked, is a growing threat facing humanity today. We
need to break the silence and cover-up of Azerbaijan’s October 2020 war against
Artsakh if we hope to end the crime of genocide in the 21st century. We are fortunate to have a courageous
and dedicated film producer like Vic Gerami to document these war crimes so
that Americans know what has already happened and speak out to end the ongoing
genocide against the indigenous population in Artsakh.”
A Southern California ‘Who’s Who’
List of Filmmakers Goes National with New Producers
Adding national visibility, genocide
education and prevention champion, Jacob Bournazian, an attorney in Washington
D.C. along with the entrepreneurial Odabashians are now in league with renowned
criminal-defense attorney, Mark Geragos
and California State Commissioner Sam Kbushyan as Motherland
producers.
Previously, Los Angeles City Councilman
Mitch O’Farrell, who
secured a symbolically important grant from the City of Los Angeles for the
film, congratulated Gerami, Geragos, and Motherland’s entire production
team on recruiting Commissioner Kbushyan.
“With the addition of Sam, this team
continues to impress,’ said Councilman O’Farrell. ‘This
film will help give much-needed attention to the injustices in Artsakh.”
#
# #
About ‘Motherland’
Produced and directed by Los Angeles-based
Armenian American journalist and activist, Vic
Gerami, ‘Motherland‘ is
a new documentary, feature-length film about the genocidal assault and the
violent ethnic cleansing that was unleashed September 27, 2020 by
Azerbaijan and Turkey. The 90-minute documentary film focuses unwavering
attention on the coordinated, systematic and wholly unprovoked genocidal attack and
ethnic cleansing against the Armenians of Artsakh, also known as
Nagorno-Karabakh.
Gerami is founder and editor of The Blunt Post and
host of the national radio show that focuses on politics titled, THE BLUNT POST with VIC on KPFK 90.7 FM,
part of Pacifica Network.
‘We are racing against time to bring
much-needed attention to this humanitarian catastrophe and the imminent threat
it poses to millions of innocent people,’ says Gerami.
‘Armenian and Artsakh people have a
combined population of about three million; but Azerbaijan and Turkey have
ninety million,’ he continues. ‘It’s a genuine David versus Goliath nightmare.’
21st Century Armenian Genocide in the
Making
‘We are trying to prevent another Armenian
Genocide,’ Gerami explains.
It took 106 years before the United States
formally recognized the
Armenian Genocide of 1915, which was committed by Ottoman Turks.
On April 24, 2021, President Joe Biden became
the first US president to recognize the Armenian genocide, officially — and to
recommit America to its promise to prevent such an atrocity against humanity
ever occurring again.
Yet tragically, history is repeating
itself. Turkey’s and Azerbaijan’s ongoing genocidal attack and ethnic cleansing
against Armenians, as we’ve witnessed recently in Artsakh, is unrelenting.
Motherland tells
the story of this ongoing and tragic chapter of human history as it was
recently witnessed in Armenia and surrounding areas when Producer-Director Vic
Gerami and his film crew capped a yearlong reporting and advocacy project by taking
cameras on riveting location shoots near the scenes of what many are calling
war crimes.
New Chapter in Regional Warfare
Azerbaijan, with declared assistance from
Turkey, has launched a large-scale offensive against
Artsakh. Employing thousands of Turkish-paid jihadist mercenaries airlifted
from terrorist camps in Syria, Libya, and Pakistan, Azerbaijan’s war effort has
been empowered by Erdogan to magnify the violence already being perpetrated by
the Azerbaijani Army against innocent children, women and men who, previously,
had lived peacefully for generations in Artsakh.
The 2020 invasion opened a new chapter in
the history of regional warfare. The travesty has been marked by unmatched
suffering anywhere on the planet today, which Artsakh’s civilian population
currently endures on a daily basis. For 44 days, the world stood by, largely in
silence, as more than 4,000 Armenians were massacred.
Motherland, currently
entering post-production, has received broad support from some of America’s leading
elected officials, including influential United States Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ).
A part of Sen. Menendez’s interview with Gerami is featured in the Motherland’s ‘sizzle,’
also known as a preview trailer.
In that segment of the film, Sen. Menendez
tells Gerami, ‘The [Trump] Administration turned a blind eye to what was
happening.’
Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA) granted
Gerami an on-camera interview for the film. A part of Rep. Schiff’s interview
is featured in the sizzle. In it he explains, ‘Turkey’s role in importing
mercenaries from Syria, and terrorists to join the mayhem demonstrate how
Turkey’s actions are incompatible with being a NATO ally.’
For more information, please visit the
film’s website, MotherlandDoc.com.
High-resolution photos and headshots can be found here.
Vic Gerami is available for interviews.
You can contact him at 310.880.8563 or [email protected].
About Lilit Dolkarian Odabashian
Lilit Dolkarian Odabashian was born in
Aleppo, Syria. She immigrated to Los Angeles in 2002 before the war in Syria
broke out. Her background is in computers and online network marketing. She
started a Facebook group called Buy Armenian, which later developed an online
marketplace. In less than a year, the marketplace has grown to showcase more
than a 1000 local small and medium sized vendors in Armenia and the diaspora.
On can find over 8000 unique items and number keeps growing. This past month, Lilit was recognized as
Ambassador for Armenian Women Entrepreneurs along with select others from among
more than a 100 highly qualified women entrepreneurs from around the world.
More Recently, the Buy Armenian model was chosen to be presented at the United
Nations Economic Commission for Europe as a platform model to help small and
medium sized businesses around the world. She is married to Nishan Odabashian
and has three children, Galia, Serge and Noah. Her favorite pastime is spending
time with her family.
About Dr. Nishan Odabashian
Dr. Nishan Odabashian was born in
Damascus, Syria. He immigrated to the US in 1977. He did his undergraduate
training at UCLA, received his DMD degree from Tufts University and an MS
degree in endodontics from Loma Linda University. Dr. Odabashian lectures
locally, nationally and internationally in his field of specialty in
Endodontics. During the 44 day war, his wife Lilit asked him to join her to
manage the fast growing Facebook group Buy Armenian. Dr. Odabashian soon found
himself spending as much time advancing and developing Buy Armenian with his
wife Lilit as he was in practicing endodontics. Nishan enjoys playing bridge
and watching his son Serge play goalkeeper for Glendale FC. He loves spending
time with his family and friends.
About BuyArmenian.com
The most recent war in Artsakh inspired
and prompted our founders Lilit and Nishan Odabashian to create the Facebook
page BUY ARMENIAN which propelled into a strong community of 40k members within
a short period of time. Subsequently, that very same page inspired this online
marketplace. The notion of helping and supporting our motherland, Armenia, in
any way possible is not something new for the Odabashian couple. However, it
became a priority agenda when they grasped the dire current economic situation in
Armenia due to the war and the Covid pandemic. They focused all their time,
energy and resources in creating the project and making it into a reality. It
may have been the unfortunate war that started this venture, but the
Odabashians, along with their Buy Armenian Marketplace team, firmly believe
that it is an absolute necessity for the diaspora and the motherland to work
hand in hand to secure the survival and prosperity of Armenia.
About
Jacob Bournazian
Jacob
Bournazian – Attorney and human rights activist in Washington D.C. He is known
for his civic participation on genocide education and civil rights issues in
the District of Columbia. Jake wrote the 2019 resolution passed by the city
council that recognized the Armenian Genocide of 1915. He organized the Community United For
Education and Equality concert at Freedom Plaza in Washington DC in June, 2019
which featured hip hop singers that performed music focusing on issues of
social equality and racism in America.
Jake has over 35 years of experience as a civil litigation attorney and
is licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. He is admitted
to practice in several federal courts including the Supreme Court. His
litigation practice involves civil rights and Freedom of Information Act
requests. He is a strong advocate and member of United Nations Association of
the USA, Human Rights Watch, and Native American Legal Defense Fund. He has
sponsored several economic development projects over the past three years in
the border regions of the Martuni province of Artsakh and led several
re-construction projects this year after the war in Artsakh.
About Vic Gerami
Vic Gerami is
an award-winning journalist, columnist, media commentator, and the host of his
prime-time headline news + politics radio program THE BLUNT POST with VIC (TBPV)
on Independent + Progressive Radio KPFK 90.7
FM (Pacifica Network).
Vic is also the editor + publisher of The Blunt Post.
Today reaching national, international
audiences, Gerami first built a foundation of knowledge and skills by learning
the media industry during his years at Frontiers Magazine, followed by
positions at LA Weekly and Voice Media Group.
Gerami’s
radio program, TBPV covers national, regional, and local headline news,
politics, and current events, and Gerami offers analysis and commentary. He
also interviews a high-profile member of Congress or other high-profile public
figures on each show. His recent guests include Congressman Adam Schiff, Senator Bob Menendez, Congresswoman Jackie Speier, Governor Howard Dean, Congresswoman Katie Porter, Congressman Brad Sherman, Congressman Mike Levin, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, and Congresswoman Judy
Chu, LA District Attorney George Gascon,
among many others. You can listen to all the interviews here.
Gerami is also a contributor for some of
the most prominent publications in the nation, including Windy City Times, Bay
Area Reporter, Armenian Mirror-Spectator, The Advocate, The Immigrant Magazine,
GoWeHo, Destination Luxury, OUT Traveler, The Fight, and among others.
Gerami founded the Truth
And Accountability League (TAAL), a 501©3
non-profit organization that advocates for Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) and
Armenia. TAAL monitors & addresses Armenophobia, extremism & bigotry
around the globe on the level of media, including social media, public policy,
academia, and intelligentsia.
The Wall Street Journal featured
Gerami as a “leading gay activist”
in its landmark 2008 coverage of opposition to Proposition 8, the ballot
measure that for years denied same-sex couples in California the freedom to
marry. In addition to his years of volunteer work as a leading advocate for
marriage equality, Gerami served as a Planning Committee member for the
historic Resist March in 2017.
In 2015, Gerami was referenced in the
landmark Supreme Court civil rights case, Obergefell
v. Hodges, in which the Court held
in a 5–4 decision that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex
couples by both the Due Process and the Equal Protection Clauses of the
Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Please click here
for more information about Vic Gerami.
Instagram: @vicgerami
Facebook: facebook.com/vic.gerami
Twitter: @vicgerami