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Exploring A Current Event: An Interview with Andrew Goldberg
By Khatchig Mouradian
March 23, 2006
ews.htm
On April 17, 2006, PBS will air a powerful documentary, titled `The Armenian
Genocide,’ which deals with the massacres and deportations of the Armenians
in the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The documentary, written, directed and
produced by Emmy Award-winning producer Andrew Goldberg, features interviews
with leading genocide scholars and is narrated by Julianna Margulies as well
as Ed Harris, Natalie Portman, Laura Linney and Orlando Bloom, among others.
Filmed in the US, France, Germany, Belgium, Syria, and Turkey, the one-hour
documentary also features discussions with Kurdish and Turkish citizens in
modern-day Turkey.
Andrew Goldberg of Two Cats Productions () has produced and
directed documentaries, news segments and long-form programming for PBS,
NBC, E!, Inside Edition, ABC News and many others. His documentaries include
`Armenians, A Story of Survival’ (2001) and `A Yiddish World Remembered’
(2002).
The following phone interview was conducted on March 10, 2006.
Khatchig Mouradian -Why did you decide to make a documentary on the Armenian
genocide?
Andrew Goldberg- The Armenian Genocide is one of the most underreported
stories of the 20th century. Every time there is an attempt to raise this
issue, there are those who try to stop the discussion. I wanted to get this
important subject discussed. I am glad we succeeded.
KM- The title of the documentary is enough to make the Turkish government
and other genocide deniers try to stop the discussion this time around as
well, even without bothering to see the documentary, isn’t it?
AG- As I have previously stated, I did not use the title `The Armenian
Genocide’ to be provocative. However, if you don’t use the word `genocide,’
you are enabling denial. It’s not that we must use the word `genocide’; it’s
only that we cannot allow people to stop us from using the word. The term
`genocide’ did not exist for years, but the mass killings of the Armenians
were denied back then as well. We could call it anything and the people who
want to stop the truth would still deny it. We are using the term `genocide’
because it’s the only word in the current language to properly describe this
event. The mass murder of the Armenian people has been denied for nearly a
hundred years; I won’t be a part of that denial no matter what.
KM- The documentary also gives an opportunity to deniers of the Armenian
genocide to express their views and tell what they consider to be `the other
side’ of the story. What is your comment on that?
AG- Denial can be looked at, but it must be looked at in a controlled,
quarantined situation. If you quarantine denial, contextualize it, and
explain to people that what they now are seeing is denial, then you are
shielded from the virus of denial and it doesn’t cause damage. While we do
present in the film the points of view of deniers, I wouldn’t call it `the
other side,’ because there is no other side. People do not understand just
how committed the denialists are to distorting the story. People need to
understand the monster. That’s why we chose to show what they had to say.
KM- In the documentary, columnist and retired Turkish diplomat Gunduz Aktan
says, `The Turkish people firmly believe that what happened to the Armenian
people was not genocide.’ Tell us about your impressions of how the Turkish
people approach the Armenian issue.
AG – First of all, they approach it differently on camera than they do off
camera. I’ll give you an example not related to the genocide. If you speak
to the Hamshen, they will say to you, `We are Armenians,’ but when you point
the camera at them, they say `We are Turkish.’ Turkey is not a nation of
free speech, although it may present itself as such. Therefore, there’s a
double dialogue in Turkey. There’s a dialogue that you see presented
publicly, and then there’s a dialogue behind closed doors. There is an
increasing number of people in Turkey who do believe it was genocide;
however, they would not say this publicly.
KM- The main challenge of addressing a historical event by film would be
making it related to the here and now. Was this the case with `The Armenian
genocide’?
AG- I believe that this is an event that started 91 years ago and is not
over. Denial is the final stage of genocide. Therefore, it’s a current
event. Besides, we address many contemporary issues in the film, such as the
recent ruling in Turkey that they would teach the students that there was no
genocide. This is incredible; believing is one thing, but teaching it in the
state curriculum is another thing. We did not take on news issues like Orhan
Pamuk because you don’t know how they are going to turn out and when they
turn out one way or another, the film immediately becomes old. This
documentary is not a news piece; it’s a piece that has to have some
shelf-life. This is more of an issue piece than a news piece.
KM- Tell us a bit of this all-star cast of narrators.
AG- I worked with Aleen Keshishian who is a wonderful and extremely
accomplished Talent Manager in Hollywood. We worked together in picking the
narrators, and every one of them donated their services. Every single one of
them did it for free, because they cared deeply about the cause. We have a
wonderful cast of talented people and we are very proud of them.
KM- What is the message that you want to convey to the public with `The
Armenian genocide’?
AD- What happened to the Armenians is one of the most inhumane acts in the
history of the human race. The victims of that event and their children have
never been acknowledged and affirmed, and it is important that we, as
non-Armenians and Armenians, affirm and acknowledge this tragedy, and send a
clear message to those attempting to deny this tragedy that we will not
allow their position to make progress into this international conversation.

PanARMENIAN.Net
NKR President to Meet with Armenian Leadership

23.03.2006 19:18 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ March 22 President of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic Arkady Ghukasyan arrived in Yerevan.
As reported by the NKR leader’s Press Service, Arkady
Ghukasyan will meet with Armenian leadership in Yerevan.

PanARMENIAN.Net
Armenia Did Much to Solve Karabakh Issue and Expects Corresponding
Steps from Baku
23.03.2006 18:59 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ After the Istanbul meeting on March 20 co-chairs of
the OSCE Minsk Group have not informed on their coming steps yet,
Armenian FM Vartan Oskanian said yesterday. In his words, there are
two possible options – either the co-chairs will visit the region
themselves, or they will organize a meeting of the FMs of Armenia and
Azerbaijan. The Armenian Minister also added that Armenia has done
much on its part to promote peaceful settlement of the Nagorno
Karabakh conflict and now expects corresponding steps from
Baku. Oskanian remarked that Opportunities to solve Karabakh conflict
reduced in 2006 a bit.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PanARMENIAN.Net
Mesrob Mutafyan: Hrant Dink Tries to Compromise
Armenian Community of Turkey

23.03.2006 20:11 GMT+04:00

/PanARMENIAN.Net/ I supported and I will support any
step of the Armenian and Turkish governments, aimed at
normalizing relations, Constantinople Patriarch Mesrob
Mutafyan stated in an interview with the Hurriyet. He
called the conference at Istanbul University, where
Turkey’s official and unofficial stances over the
Armenian Genocide can be voiced, very important.
Touching upon Agos newspaper editor Hrant Dink’s
article, in which the latter accuses the Patriarch in
efforts to subordinate the Armenian community,
Mutafyan said, «Hrant Dink compared me with a member
of a sect, who blindly attaches community members to
himself. He tries to compromise the community and me.
Of course, I will work to unite the community based on
the Bible. It is normal,» Istanbul-based Marmara
newspaper reports.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Armenpress
ARMENIAN PATRIARCH OF TURKEY SAYS ANKARA CONTINUES
DISCRIMINATORY POLICY AGAINST NON-MUSLIMS

ISTANBUL, MARCH 23, ARMENPRESS: In an interview to
a Turkish daily Hurriyet the Armenian Patriarch of
Turkey and Istanbul, Archbishop Mesrop Mutafian, said
the government of Turkey continued the discriminatory
policy against its non-Muslim national minorities.
As an example he cited a government decision that
exempts donations to Muslim foundation from taxes and
imposes huge taxes on donations to Christian and other
religious foundations. He said also the government
pays for electricity consumed by mosques, while this
privilege does not apply to Christian churches, though
Christians, like Muslims are also citizens of Turkey
and pay taxes.
Mutafian cited another example, saying the
government pays for accommodation of Muslim pilgrims
when they visit holly Islam sites. which is not the
case with Christians and Jews when they make
pilgrimage to Jerusalem. “All these manifestations of
discrimination make Christians feel humiliated,” the
Armenian Patriarch said, adding also that the
government has not responded to the Armenian
Patriarchate’s request to open a theological
department at an Istanbul University for Christian
Armenian students.

THE STORY OF A WEAPON
Lragir/am
23 March 06

Member of Parliament Shavarsh Kocharyan thinks Russia is not our
strategic partner, because in the years of collapse of the Soviet
Union Armenia received 1.5-2.5 times less tanks, guns, armored
machines, helicopters, than Azerbaijan. We did not get planes at all,
whereas Azerbaijan got 50.
Hearing this statement, the deputy chairman of the All-Armenian
Movement Aram Manukyan said it was not quite true, but he said, `I am
not telling what I know and what I can tell.’
Manuk Gasparyan, who had been listening to all this, carried on the
topic. According to him, along with the withdrawal of the Russian
forces from Georgia the `scrap metal’ weapons are brought to
Armenia. In the meantime, Azerbaijan will acquire modern weapons. The
weapon brought from Georgia to Armenia is `junk weapon,’ agreed Aram
Manukyan.
By the way, in accordance with the European convention on restriction
of conventional weapons, the weapons of the Russian military bases in
Armenia are `counted’ in the arsenal of Armenia.

Mikhail Piotrovski: Yerevan continues to remain a city of museums
ArmRadio
23.03.2006 14:15
President Robert Kocharyan received today the Director of the State
Hermitage, correspondent-member of the National Academy of Sciences of
the Russian Federation Mikhail Piotrovski.
He said it was a pleasure for him to visit his native city, where he
was born and grown up. According to Piotrovski’s assessments, although
much has changed since his last visit, Yerevan has kept its face and
style and continues to remain a city of museums.
The scientist presented the current state of the Hermitage and spoke
about exposition changes.
He attached importance to the cooperation between the two countries
and noted that constant contacts, scientific conferences, exchange of
experience will provide the opportunity to organize the work more
correctly and present the Armenian culture in the best way.
Noting that the exhibition of `Treasures of St. Echmiadzin’ held in
the framework of the Year of Armenia in Russia was a great success,
Mikhail Piotrovski informed that he intends to open a Urartu
exhibition hall in the Hermitage by the end of the year.

Today is the professional day of meteorologists
ArmRadio
23.03.2006 15:20
This year the professional day of meteorologists is celebrated under
the `Alleviation of the results of natural disasters and danger
prevention’ slogan. 90 percent of the natural disasters are
conditioned with weather changes.
2005 was full of such disasters. Today the issue of global warming is
in the center of the scientists’ attention. Some scientists predict
that starting from 2030 the opposite process, i.e. global freezing, is
possible.
The meteorological service in Armenia faces a number of problems
ranging from low salaries to training of high-level
specialists. However, the employees of the service hope that these
will be resolved in course of time.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

$300 000 for founding an Armenian radio station in Turkey
ArmRadio
23.03.2006 15:35
This year the Armenian Diaspora of Turkey intends to air radio
programs in Armenian, the Turkish `Zaman’ notes according to `Regnum’
Agency.
According to the editor-in-chief of the Armenian `Agos’ newspaper
Hrant Dink, the Armenian Diaspora has already collected $300 000 for
that purpose.
`The Armenian Diaspora has its schools and newspapers. Currently we
are trying to found an Armenian radio in the country. A corresponding
application has been already sent to the Chief Council of Radio and
Television of Turkey,’ Hrant Dink noted.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Those who suffered from the activity of “ArmenTel” continue to protest
ArmRadio
23.03.2006 14:30
Several groups were protesting today in front of the government
building. Dwellers of the Northern Avenue, Buzand Street and Dalma
Parks joined the residents of the area adjunct to the Tbilisi Highway
and the citizens who suffered form the activities of `ArmenTel.’
Arshak Sadoyan, who was heading the strike of the latter, declared
that the protest will continue until the government gives a
response. They met the Minster of Transport and Communication Andranik
Manukyan. The latter told the strikers that he will submit
corresponding documents to the Prosecutor’s Office and hopes that the
issue will be resolved in their favor.