The crypto-Armenians in Turkey film screening at YSU.

On March 3, 2016, a documentary movie screening entitled “The crypto-Armenians in Turkey” was held in YSU cultural center. The event began with the opening speech of the director of “Modus Vivendi” center, Ara Papyan, who described the nature of the film, the main topic of it and the message that it delivers.

The film was in Turkish with English subtitles, in which; the return story of a crypto-Armenian man’s to his original identity was displayed. The hero of the movie, Haroutiun Yeritsian (Artin Eres), was a seventy-year-old man who moved with his family from Kutahya to Dersim in 1940’s, and later to Istanbul. During his life, the hero has passed through various difficulties. In his words: in governmental and official circles, he was always finger-pointed for being Armenian. In the film, we witnessed how the hero is having a lengthy conversation with his wife about the repatriation issue. He was regularly speaking about his purposes of returning to his roots and belief. Whereas, his wife unlike him was always denying; “our elders didn’t want us to know about our ancestors, they’re telling me that I’m Armenian, but I don’t feel like that, I’m a Muslim thank God” – the wife repeats. The documentary demonstrates how the husband opposes his wife’s wishes. Despite all these, Haroutiun Yeritsian transmitted his message to his sons, wishing to be a role model for them in returning to their Armenian roots and religious belief. Let us add that the hero of the story was personally present in the screening event; who came to Armenia accompanied by his grandson.

In the end of the screening, the audiences had the opportunity to ask questions to the main character of the story, the grandson and the filmmaker as well. They talked about the difficulties that encountered during the shooting of the movie. They also talked about the bloody history of Western Armenia, the consequences of the Genocide memory and the current situation in Turkey. Moreover, they discussed the possible communication matters of the generations between Armenia and Turkey, and the feasible further relationships.