ARE EU-TURKISH NEGOTIATIONS A FOOL’S GAME?
by Alexandrine Bouilhet
Le Figaro (In English)
27 juin 2006
Negotiations between the EU and Turkey embarked on a crucial stage
in Luxembourg last week. The two contracting parties completed the
first chapter – devoted to science and research – of the accession
negotiations. Technically, it is an insignificant step. This field
includes very few “communitaire gains” – that is, European laws to
be transposed into Turkish national legislation.
Turkey already participates in joint scientific programmes such as
Euratom and Eureka; it can already use Brussels’ funds allocated to
these projects. So its importance in this regard is therefore small.
“It is like having a fully bilingual person sit an English-language
exam,” according to Brussels. At the European Council meeting, [French
President] Jacques Chirac played down the event. “Yes, we have opened
a chapter, but the negotiations could still be called into question
if Turkey does not meet its obligations…” he commented. Despite
what the Turko-sceptics may think, Turkey has scored an important
point on the legal and political plane. The EU is above all a legal
community. After nine months in the waiting room, Turkey can boast
of having entered the heart of communitaire matters.
In Luxembourg it moved its pieces onto the first square of the huge
European board game, which has 35 squares or chapters, corresponding
to 80,000 pages of legislation. At the end of the game, once all
the squares have been filled, the candidate country in principle
becomes an EU member. For Turkey, which has never been regarded as
just another candidate, are these real negotiations or a fool’s game?
There are few people, either in Brussels or in Ankara, who are not
pondering this question, at least silently. This, particularly since
the last word on Turkey’s membership will, as we know, lie with the
French people, who are required to approve, by referendum, any future
EU enlargements, apart from those of Bulgaria, Romania and Croatia.
The first test for Turkey, and for Europe, regarding the seriousness
of these negotiations will occur in the autumn, when the internal
market and transport chapters, requiring free circulation of goods
and citizens, are examined. If Ankara still refuses to open its ports
to Greek Cypriot ships, will the EU suddenly break off its talks with
Turkey? This is a risk that Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan seems
willing to take, judging from his latest statements in Istanbul. When
they began membership negotiations with Ankara on 3 October 2005,
the Twenty-Five demanded a normalization of Turkish Cypriot relations
before the end of 2006. If the deadlock continues, the European
Council in December will tackle the issue. The Cyprus question, more
than the recognition of the Armenian genocide, is a major obstacle
to Turkey’s candidacy. In the likely event of Cyprus’ not being
recognized within the next six months, Brussels is preparing to break
off negotiations, at least on the chapters concerned – the internal
market, customs and transport. The examination of the other chapters
would continue, thus leaving the way open to Turkey. “Technically,
we will so arrange matters that the train can stay on track, but
politically, these negotiations will become increasingly difficult
to sell to the public,” one expert in Brussels forecast. Cyprus,
with its veto rights, could derail everything. The Commission, which
is the arbiter in these negotiations, is Turkey’s most loyal ally.
“Sometimes it even goes too far!” one Italian diplomat quipped. The
Turkey desk in Brussels is headed by a pro-Turkish Swede, himself
flanked by a Briton, Michael Leah, who believes that enlargement
remains the best and most modern of the EU’s policies, a guarantee
of peace and prosperity on the continent. Among the Twenty-Five,
Turkey can rely on the support of several countries, and not the
least important – Britain, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Italy, and all
the new member states. Though it must remain neutral, the Finnish
EU presidency, which begins on 1 July, is likely to do its utmost
to avert a rift over the Cyprus question. And Turkey, a leading
NATO member country, can always rely on Washington, as it did on 3
October 2005. Confronted by this solid bloc, the “anti-Turkey” camp
is weaker and more fluctuating. It comprises Austria, the Netherlands,
Denmark, Cyprus, and post-29 May [2005, date of European constitution
referendum] France. However, France’s line remains ambiguous,
divided between the Elysee [president’s office], which is in favour
of Turkey’s accession, for strategic reasons, and the Quai d’Orsay
[Foreign Ministry], which is often more sceptical. According to
[President] Jacques Chirac, Turkey must join Europe so that the
latter does not remain a “Christian club”. According to numerous
French diplomats, however, Turkey’s accession could “denature” the
European blueprint. This twofold approach makes France’s position
often opaque to the public, except for experts on the matter, who
have learned to decipher Paris’s strategy. “In the background, French
diplomats are the most nit-picking, together with the Cypriots,”
one negotiator said. “They increase the pressure to the last moment,
but once a rift threatens, they side with Ankara. Suddenly Cyprus finds
itself isolated, alone versus everyone else, and has to yield.” In the
European diplomatic interplay, France is less decisive than Germany,
which has always voted for Turkey. “In Germany, Turkey is a domestic
political issue more than a foreign policy one,” one diplomat said,
in an allusion to the 2.7m Turks living in Germany, 550,000 of them
with voting rights. In France, Turkey will remain a foreign policy
issue, until it becomes the subject of a referendum, expected to take
place in 10 years’ time at least, that is, at the end of the European
board game.

STEVE TOBIN, HAGOP HAGOPIAN
By Peter Frank
LA Weekly, CA –
June 28 2006
Steve Tobin, a many-faceted sculptor, began his career as a ceramist,
and has returned to the earth to – well, to blow it up. Tobin fashions
vessels of various sizes, details their skins, and then, instead of
firing them, sets off depth charges in their bowels, practically
turning them inside out and leaving a residue of glass at their
cores. Of course, how the vessels exfoliate is beyond Tobin’s control,
but that’s part of the beauty of the outcome. He’s certainly exhibiting
no duds here; the objects thus created, whether small enough for the
shelf or large enough for the floor, roil, flare, split and blister
like unearthly plants during mating season, or like the abandoned
pupae of dinosaur-size butterflies.
Hagop Hagopian, Sahghmosavank (1995)
Born in Egypt, Hagop Hagopian returned to Armenia, his ancestral
home, while it was still a Soviet republic. His decision to eschew
Social Realist bombast for brittle, tender renditions of the local
countryside cost him prominence, but endeared him to his countrymen.
Hagopian’s style recasts the muted expressionism of postwar School
of Paris painters as a poetically elliptical approach to what was
at once entirely ordinary and politically charged imagery – a way
of declaring a love for a patch of land without turning it into so
many post-card views. Even Hagopian’s renditions of Mount Ararat,
the touchstone of Armenian nationalism, are aloof and contemplative.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ARARAT GOLD RECOVERY COMPANY INTENDS TO SUE RA MINISTRY OF NATURE PROTECTION
Noyan Tapan
Jun 28 2006
YEREVAN, JUNE 28, NOYAN TAPAN. The Ararat Gold Recovery Company (AGRC)
intends to sue the RA Ministry of Nature Protection soon. AGRC lawyer
Armen Ter-Tachatian told NT correspondent that the ministry prepared
an act about the company’s failure to make its environmental protecion
payments, which, according to him, does not correspond to reality. He
said that AGRC’s lawsuits contesting 3 similar acts of the ministry
had been upheld previously. According to A. Ter-Tachatian, the last
act cannot be a ground for depriving AGRC of its licence. However,
if the question of depriving the company of its licence is raised
again, AGRC will appeal to an international court. To recap, AGRC
was founded in 1998 with the aim of extracting gold ore from Sotk
and Meghradzor mines and processing it at the Ararat Gold Recovery
Plant. Since 2002, First Dynasty Mines Armenia company (India) has
been a 100% owner of the enterprise.
Recently it sold 55% of its shares to Vedanta company.

“A STRANGE SLAP IN THE FACE OF ARMENIA”
Anna Israelian
Aravot.am
28 June 06
The former Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Armenia about the NK
conflict settlement.
After the unprecedented step of the OSCE Minsk group American
cochairman Mathew Brayza, which declassified some details of the
negotiations, we turned to the former Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Armenia Vahan Papazian for interpretation. We got the same answer,
which we had already heard as the answer to our request for interview
after Robert Kocharian and Ilham Aliev meeting in Bucharest. That
is, he won’t say anything new besides what he has already said
in his interview given to our newspaper in 2000 and he insists on
his remarks. Vahan Papazian said in 2000 that it was impossible in
principle to get better results than we could conceivably have in
1997. ”I’m not sure that nowadays political leadership is sincerely
anxious for the settlement of this conflict. Certainly, they can
declare that they do their best, look, we negotiate, discuss versions
and when we come to a conclusion, we’ll produce it to the political
powers and public and will hold a referendum necessarily etc. But
there isn’t any certain agreement, and they can negotiate for many
years.” A comparison was published in ”Aravot” 6 years ago, which
showed how Robert Kocharian’s and Levon Ter-Petrosian’s approaches
round the NK conflict settlement had become too close.
Vahan Papazian also noticed that similarity; ” And it is natural. In
general, I mark the end of 1997 and beginning of 1998 as a greatest
nonsense in the political life of our country. For not being understood
wrong, I must stress that it was irreversible nonsense. We missed the
opportunity of settling the NK conflict by dignified peace. Even the
common diplomat knows that we must go for concessions from the strong
position. Our positions were stronger in 1997. It seems to me that if
there is a political settlement, Armenia, in particularly Karabakh,
won’t have decisive vote any more. The word ”If” in this affirmation
is very essential”.
Another Former Minister of Armenia Alexander Arzumanian spoke about
Mathew Brayza’s interview in the ”Pastark” club mentioning that
he saw ”nothing strange” in declassification of proposals. In
his opinion, the meaning of Brayza’s interview is; ”that we have
already proposed and the presidents of the countries must be brave
to explain this to their people. And they try to involve the public
into dispute, which is indeed a natural process. If you remember,
Levon Ter-Petrosian’s proposal of dispute led to the changeover of
political powers in time. Now a proposal of dispute is made again”.
To the ”Azatutiun” b/s question whether Robert Kocharian would be
invited to Washington Mathew Brayza answered; ”There is no reason
for Robert Kocharian not to visit Washington. I hope that we can see
in Armenia the same positive steps of democratic reforms as we see
in Azerbaijan”. Alexander Arzumanian mentioned on this occasion;
”It is strange when the official of middle section allows himself
to tell Armenia; go and reach to the level of Azerbaijan then we’ll
invite your president. It is a strange slap. I have spoken for many
times, that there isn’t democracy in Armenia, but saying democracy,
I have never mean to be compared with Azerbaijan or Belarus”.
Speaking on Brayza’s detections to the RA MFA replies, the former
Foreign Minister has said that it simply showed the weakness of
our Foreign Ministry. The MFA wanted by that declaration to remove
doubts but it deepened them, showing that they negotiate today about
territories of the NK security zone, about withdrawal of military
forces from all territories. “What does Karabakh get? To hold a
referendum? That people have already made their decision. This
authority has come to power just for that reason, to settle the
problems of the NK conflict and re-annexation with Armenia. Please,
settle it”, – Alexander Arzumanian recorded the failure of “triumphal”
and “no piece of land” policy.
–Boundary_(ID_v8bEbjwrJSrHlQ2Wyq+OQw)–

NON-COMPLEMENTARY DAMNATION
Tigran Avetisian
Aravot.am
28 June 06
There is an impression that the unpleasant incident happened to the
Catholicos of the whole Armenians in Istanbul was just what a lot of
people in Armenia wished. And how great and deep their desperation
would be if the Catholicos’ visit passed without adventures and
didn’t mark by hooliganism of some extremist idiots. Unless they
wouldn’t have such a wonderful occasion to cry about “vandal essence”
of Turkish type and “that people’s indisputable incompatibility to
European standards”. This underlining are quoted from the press.
While a lot of people who consider themselves politicians, public men
or art workers put into circulation such shameful expressions that
they made us think about mass psychotherapy of some groups of our
society. The most interesting thing is that nobody declared about the
above-mentioned incident; ”Dear compatriots, you shouldn’t describe
the whole nation for the reason of some rabbles, which is full of
dangerous political consequences”.
We shouldn’t remind that we don’t have the lack of such kind of
declarations when our innocent compatriots are killed in Russian
cities owing to national identity.
Another observation; nowadays Turks are accused of “false reforms”
and ” providing for the veil of democracy”. But I’d advise those who
accuse, to mark first of all the last presidential and parliamentary
elections, not forgetting the shameful referendum in autumn. Then it
will be clear what veil means.
–Boundary_(ID_Cf7VeNfXyGurz5ruj9VirQ)–
From: Baghdasarian

KOCHARYAN OFFERS CONDOLENCES ON MURDER OF RUSSIAN DIPLOMATS
ITAR-TASS, Russia
June 28 2006
YEREVAN, June 28 (Itar-Tass) – Armenian President Robert Kocharyan
expressed deep condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin in
connection with the assassination of Russian embassy staff members
in Iraq, the press service of the Armenian president told Itar-Tass
on Wednesday.
“Armenia with grief and indignation took the news about the massacre
of the Russian diplomats in Iraq, who became the innocent victims of
terrorists,” the letter runs.
“The incident once again confirmed the inhuman nature of terrorism
and showed the urgent necessity to fight all of its manifestations,”
the Armenian president believes.
Kocharyan expressed “sincere sympathy and condolences to the families
and friends of those who were killed and to all the people of the
Russian Federation.”

ARMENIA GETS MIXED REVIEWS FROM INTERNATIONAL OBSERVERS
International Journalist’s Network
June 28 2006
While there have been relatively few documented attacks on Armenian
journalists in recent months, reporting there remains clearly biased,
according to a European media watchdog.
Miklos Haraszti, media freedom representative for the Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), recently paid a three-day
visit to Armenia. He said on June 21 that “the coverage of political
life still remains one-sided, both in private and public-service
broadcasting.”
Although the constitution protects freedom of the press, the government
continues to restrict full media freedom in the country, observers
say. Most newspapers rely on funds from the government, politically
motivated individuals or parties to survive, and objectivity suffers.
Harazsti said that the government needs to speed up media reform in
the country, especially in light of parliamentary elections set for
next year. He also said that the broadcasting boards need to represent
more voices in order to support a diversity of broadcast media and
greater objectivity.

VALENTIGNEY FETE L’ANNEE DE L’ARMENIE MAIS CENSURE LE GENOCIDE
Claire Guillot
Le Monde, France
28 Juin 2006
L’Annee de l’Armenie s’annonce moins consensuelle que celle du
Bresil. En avril, a Lyon, le Memorial dedie au genocide armenien par
les Turcs en 1915 etait tagge avant meme d’etre inaugure.
Le 17 juin, c’est le photographe Antoine Agoudjian, connu pour son
travail sur la communaute armenienne, qui etait vise. Invite par
la ville de Valentigney (Doubs), il a vu son exposition decrochee
après les vives reactions de la communaute turque, forte de plusieurs
milliers de personnes en pays de Montbeliard, choquee par deux legendes
mentionnant le mot “genocide”.
Cette exposition etait presentee dans le cadre du festival folklorique
Rythmes et couleurs de Valentigney (13 000 habitants), qui presentait,
les 17 et 18 juin, des danses, spectacles et expositions sous le
signe de l’Annee de l’Armenie.
Sous un chapiteau, Antoine Agoudjian exposait 35 images de son travail
Empreintes, publie dans la collection “Photopoche” (Actes Sud). Mais
dès l’ouverture, les legendes de deux images ont crispe les visiteurs
turcs : l’une montre des rescapes du genocide a Sassoum (Turquie),
l’autre fait reference au Memorial de Lyon et au million et demi
d’Armeniens morts en 1915.
Le ton est monte, mais le photographe s’est obstine, rappelant que
l’Assemblee nationale a reconnu le genocide armenien en 2001.
L’adjoint a la culture, Daniel Petitjean, a decide alors de fermer,
puis de decrocher l’exposition.
Rentre a Paris, Antoine Agoudjian ne decolère pas. “Au lieu de me
defendre, la municipalite m’a laisse me debrouiller avec la communaute
turque, au milieu des insultes et des menaces. Et quand j’ai refuse
d’enlever les legendes incriminees, elle m’a censure.” La municipalite
de Valentigney, embarrassee, precise dans un communique qu’elle a dû,
devant les “risques”, “suspendre durant les deux jours du festival
en plein air, et non censurer, l’exposition de M. Agoudjian”.
Mais le photographe dit qu’avant l’exposition “un marchandage” a eu
lieu : “La mairie a soumis mes images, a mon insu, aux representants
de la communaute turque, afin qu’ils valident mon expo. N’est-ce pas
de la censure ?” La mairie estime que cette “reunion preparatoire”
organisee avec deux associations turques de la ville etait necessaire
afin de “prevenir les tensions”.
Les photographies d’Antoine Agoudjian sont desormais visibles, jusqu’au
30 juin, a la MJC de Valentigney. Le conseil municipal vient de voter
l’organisation d’un vernissage de clôture “en hommage a l’artiste,
a son oeuvre et au peuple armenien”.
–Boundary_(ID_9voLqIcSavcoL4zEVf +kUQ)–

LES “VENGEURS” ARMENIENS
Gaïdz Minassian
Le Monde, France
28 Juin 2006
Qui le sait ? La Turquie a reconnu le genocide des Armeniens de 1915.
En juin 1919, lors de la Conference de la paix a Paris, Damad Ferid
Pacha, premier ministre turc, declare : “Presque tout le monde civilise
s’est emu au recit des crimes que les Turcs auraient commis.
Loin de moi la pensee de travestir ces forfaits (…). Je chercherai
encore moins a attenuer le degre de culpabilite des auteurs du grand
drame.” Des mots qui brûlent encore la langue de ses successeurs a
Ankara, mais que l’on peut lire dans La Dette de sang, d’Archavir
Chiragian, que les editions Complexe reeditent a trois mois de
l’ouverture de l’Annee de l’Armenie en France (de septembre a juillet
2007), avec La Republique d’Armenie 1918-1920, d’Anahide Ter Minassian
(326 pages, 11,60 ~@), et Le Genocide des Armeniens : 1915-1917,
d’Yves Ternon et Gerard Chaliand (220 p., 8,99 ~@).
Comment ces Memoires d’un jeune Armenien de Turquie ne pourraient-ils
pas, vingt-quatre ans après leur première publication en francais
(Ramsay), seduire l’amateur de polar ? Archavir Chiragian est alors
membre de la Federation revolutionnaire armenienne (Dachnak), l’une
des formations qui, aujourd’hui justement, participe au pouvoir a
Erevan. Dans un style froid, il raconte comment ce parti a decide de
rendre justice lui-meme en eliminant les responsables jeunes-turcs du
genocide, condamnes a mort par contumace en 1919 a Constantinople,
mais auxquels la sentence n’a jamais ete appliquee, en raison des
reticences turques et des carences du droit international d’alors.
L’operation “Nemesis” commence.
A 19 ans, le jeune Archavir apprend qu’il doit abattre a Rome et
a Berlin trois dirigeants jeunes-turcs. Dans un minutieux recit a
la première personne, Archavir “le diabolique”, comme l’appellent
les agents secrets turcs lances a sa poursuite, decrit filatures et
autres techniques clandestines avec une precision qui interessera
les specialistes du terrorisme. L’homme charge de tuer ne doit pas
apparaître dans les reunions preparatoires ; aucun membre du reseau ne
connaît sa “planque”. “Mercure”, comme le surnomment ses camarades,
parce qu’il parle et se deplace rapidement, court “brasseries, halls
d’hôtels et restaurants” pour mieux “se comporter en simple etudiant
ou touriste”.
La taupe Hratch Papazian, alias “Mehmet Ali”, infiltree au coeur des
cercles jeunes-turcs en exil a Berlin, ne neglige ainsi aucun detail
: pour devenir un parfait musulman, il se fait circoncire, parle un
turc limpide et partage le cafe avec les bourreaux, devenus pourtant
mefiants. Quelques annees plus tard, Hratch Papazian finira sa vie
comme depute au Parlement syrien après la seconde guerre mondiale.
Archavir Chiragian n’oublie pas le fetichisme prise par les
terroristes. A chaque operation, il porte en rituel la meme chemise
blanche sans col ; liquette qu’il conservera jusqu’a sa mort, en 1973
en Californie, où il a prospere comme homme d’affaires americain.
Ces Memoires de guerre ne sont pas exempts d’un certain manicheisme
: l’auteur ne dit rien, par exemple, du rôle d’informateur des
Britanniques, qui contrôlaient Constantinople, dans l’operation
“Nemesis”, ou encore des raisons qui ont conduit le Dachnak a
interrompre les attentats.
S’ajoute enfin l’interet d’un temoignage quasi unique sur un genocide
vieux bientôt d’un siècle, mais qui continue ces derniers mois, y
compris en France, a alimenter la polemique. Et meme si, helas, comme
l’analyse Marc Nichanian, professeur a la Columbia University a New
York, dans La Perversion historiographique, une reflexion armenienne
(ed. Lignes-Manifestes, 212 p., 17 ~@), certains s’emploient encore a
nier methodiquement l’existence des chambres a gaz ou l’extermination
des Armeniens dans l’Empire ottoman.
LA DETTE DE SANG d’Archavir Chiragian, Complexe, 352 pages, 9,90 ~@.
–Boundary_(ID_9SWJ9hPYseB3XoNK72TTiw)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PAPIERS D’ARMENIE
Par Christophe Boltanski
Liberation, France
28 Juin 2006
Portrait
Robert Guediguian, 53 ans, realisateur. Le Pagnol marxiste du cinema
contemporain quitte avec les siens l’Estaque et Marseille pour un
film sur ses origines armeniennes.
La lumière revenue, le voila une fois de plus debout devant l’ecran,
entoure de son cortège habituel. Faute de megaphone, il tient un micro,
qu’il cède de temps en temps a ses collègues et amis pour le reprendre
très vite. Cela se voit. Discourir, plaider, repondre aux questions,
retourner une foule, il adore ca. Ce soir-la, il presente sa dernière
oeuvre, a Montreuil, sa ville depuis vingt ans. Chacun de ses opus
donne lieu aux memes manifestations publiques. Robert Guediguian
fait des films pour en parler. Il avoue etre “un inconditionnel
des debats”, qu’il multiplie a travers la France. S’il transforme
les salles obscures en tribunes, ce n’est pas par nostalgie du
cine-club, mais par goût de la cite. Comme la guerre, le cinema est
une continuation de la politique par d’autres moyens. Le natif de
l’Estaque veut retrouver les rues populeuses de son enfance et leurs
joutes oratoires. L’ancien communiste, l’orphelin du parti, provoque
sans cesse des reunions de cellule.
Peuplee de dockers, de patrons de bar, de riches, de pauvres, de
chômeurs, de camarades, parfois de sympathisants du Front national, sa
cellule fut longtemps identifiee a Marseille, son port, son accent,
sa verve, sa violence. Il a mis cette fois plusieurs milliers
de kilomètres entre sa camera et son Midi rouge. Dans le Voyage
en Armenie, Ariane Ascaride, son actrice fetiche et epouse dans
la vie, recherche un père parmi les hautes montagnes du Caucase,
les chapelles ancestrales et les friches postsovietiques, sur fond
de legendes et de cimes neigeuses et bibliques. Après le conteur
de l’Estaque, Guediguian l’Armenien ? Cette quete des origines a
travers l’Asie centrale etonne jusqu’a ces proches. “Ce thème est un
peu surprenant. Il faisait partie de ces Armeniens de Marseille qui
ne parlaient jamais de ca”, raconte Pierre Ascaride, frère d’Ariane
et directeur du theâtre de Malakoff. “Ca ne compte toujours pas”,
insiste son beau-frère, qui, en “vieux marxiste”, continue de placer
“la lutte des classes” au-dessus de tout. Mais les faits sont tetus.
Les banlieues ont explose et la question de l’identite avec. “Il faut
se coltiner au reel”, repète Robert Guediguian, qui, toujours en bon
marxiste, commence par sonder ses propres contradictions.
Avant qu’il ne decouvre ce petit pays en 2000, de manière presque
fortuite, lors d’une retrospective de ses films a Erevan, son
armenite se resumait a quelques plats cuisines et a des souvenirs
de famille lies au genocide. Des recits terrifiants d’un oncle
recueilli a 11 ans par des Bedouins, d’une soeur de son grand-père
morte suicidee pour ne pas etre violee par les Turcs, d’une tante
qui avait traverse a pied le desert de pierres jusqu’a Deir ez-Zor
(Syrie actuelle). Ne a Marseille, docker, militant CGT, son père
n’a jamais cultive cette part de lui-meme. “Il ne s’entendait pas
très bien avec mes grands-parents et il appartenait a cette première
generation impatiente de s’integrer.” Ce film est d’abord un don de
son epouse, Ariane. Elle en a tisse le fil, ecrit le scenario avec
la romancière Marie Desplechin. “C’est un cadeau qu’elle lui a fait”,
explique cette dernière. Ariane Ascaride dit etre “tombee amoureuse”
de l’Armenie. Au point que sa fille, par derision, l’a rebaptise
“Ascaridian”. C’est aussi pour elle un substitut, une facon d’aborder
ses propres origines : “Je suis italienne. Il m’est plus facile de
parler de cette identite via l’Armenie.”
Et si, pour Robert Guediguian, cette contree lointaine servait
egalement de derivatif ? Sa langue maternelle, insiste-t-il, n’est pas
l’armenien, mais l’allemand. Sa part d’ombre, son point nevralgique
est a rechercher de ce côte-la. La rencontre entre son père et sa mère
tient a l’un de ces hasards que seules les guerres suscitent. STO,
lui travaillait dans un hôpital en Westphalie. Elle venait voir
un patient. “Un vrai coup de foudre.” Elle l’a epouse et suivi a
Marseille. Jeune Allemande dans la France de la Liberation, elle vit
un calvaire. A l’Estaque, bastion communiste, “le parti des 100 000
fusilles”, on lui crache dessus dans la rue. Robert Guediguian apprend
très vite a se battre. “A la maternelle, je me foutais sur la gueule
avec des gamins qui me traitaient de sale Boche.” Le pas de la porte
franchi, il quitte le Sud pour entrer dans une Allemagne immuable où
tout est propre et precis. Sa mère porte la blouse, invariablement
blanche le dimanche. Elle entretient les traditions de son village,
celèbre ses fetes, parle son patois.
“C’etait une drôle de situation, declare son fils. Les genocidaires
d’un côte, les genocides de l’autre. Je ne me suis jamais senti ni
bourreau, ni victime. Je suis responsable de moi.” Il en tire une
position de principe simple sur le caractère indivisible de l’espèce
humaine et revendique la possibilite de changer d’identite. Il
a passe de nombreuses vacances enfant chez ses oncles et tantes
en Westphalie. Il est germaniste. Malgre l’influence très forte de
Brecht sur son travail, cette veine-la, trop proche, trop douloureuse,
reste inexploitee.
Et si son voyage en Armenie etait une fuite ? Une nouvelle echappee de
l’Estaque ? La cellule peut parfois devenir une geôle. Juste avant,
il y avait eu sa promenade du Champ-de-Mars. Une autre evasion. Le
portrait d’un Mitterrand moribond, une reflexion sur le temps et
la mort. Mais il se defend de prendre ses distances et prevoit de
refaire un tournage a Marseille cet hiver. “Cela faisait longtemps
que ca s’imposait.” Qu’importe le lieu. L’Estaque ne le quitte jamais
vraiment. Partout où il va, il emmène sa bande, ses amis acteurs et
techniciens qui le suivent de film en film et avec qui il travaille
de facon collegiale et plutôt egalitaire.
Son arche a donc echoue au pied du mont Ararat. Il a meme reussi
le tour de force de transformer Gerard Meylan, son presque frère,
le Marius de Jeannette, l’infirmier de la Timone, en heros militaire
armenien. Robert Guediguian ne supporte pas d’etre seul. Il lui faut
un public. Il ne peut vivre que dans un collectif. “Etre toujours
dans la rue, parler a tout le monde, c’est l’Estaque”, dit-il.
Toujours l’Estaque.
Quand il travaille sur un scenario, au bout d’une demi-journee, il
doit faire lire a quelqu’un ce qu’il a ecrit. A 14 ans, il a rejoint
le PCF, cette famille aussi accueillante qu’exigeante et jalouse.
Toute sa jeunesse, il n’a fait que militer. Puis il a pris du champ
et a enfin dechire sa carte sur fond de glaciation, de rupture
du programme commun, de fin de l’eurocommunisme et d’invasion
de l’Afghanistan. “C’a ete très douloureux pour lui, aussi bien
affectivement qu’intellectuellement”, raconte Ariane Ascaride. Il
finissait alors une thèse sur l’histoire du mouvement ouvrier
francais. Il etait aussi cinephile. Aujourd’hui, il est cineaste et
il est redevenu proche des positions d’un PC renove.
Son envie de tournage part d’une envie de plateau, d’un besoin
de retrouver une communaute. La cellule comme unite fondamentale
de la vie. “J’ai fait du cinema pour que la tribu se perpetue”,
explique-t-il. Ariane etudiait les arts dramatiques a Paris. La
belle equipe est nee de l’assemblage des copains d’enfance de Robert
et d’une classe du conservatoire. La bande compose un generique où
chacun connaît son rôle a l’avance. “Sur les films de Robert, on
parle de tout sauf du tournage. On n’a pas besoin d’explications,
car on a la meme origine, la meme vision du monde. Chacun sait ce
qu’il doit faire”, declare Ariane Ascaride.
Dates Robert Guediguian en 6 dates 1953 Naissance a l’Estaque,
quartier de Marseille.
1968 Entre aux Jeunesses communistes.
1980 Rompt avec le PCF. Tourne son premier film, Dernier Ete.
1984 Rouge Midi est presente a Cannes.
2004 Le Promeneur du Champ-de-Mars.
2006 Le Voyage en Armenie.
–Boundary_(ID_ZSItWMF6nZ00Cj0mVK3K+w)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress