The title of this documentary clearly declares its position on a controversial subject—namely, whether the deaths of hundreds of thousands of minority Christian Armenians at the hands of the Turkish government during World War I should be termed “genocide,” a label that Turkey vehemently continues to reject. The Armenian Genocide provides excellent historical background, drawing on a wealth of archival material (including stills, diplomatic documents, and journalistic evidence), along with comments from scholars, to describe the erosion of Ottoman power in the late 19th century (particularly in the Balkans), followed by the establishment of an aggressively nationalist government that adopted stringent anti-Armenian policies. After providing the context, the film turns to the horrifying titular wartime atrocities, supplementing photos and contemporary footage with eyewitness accounts and interview excerpts with relatives of both survivors and perpetrators, as well as an overview of the 1919 war crimes trial that delivered guilty verdicts against government leaders. The film concludes with an examination of the Turkish government's denials of genocide, which are based on the argument that the loss of life, however regrettable, was the result of civil war. The Armenian genocide issue continues to have serious geopolitical ramifications, and the film convincingly argues that the Turkish people will need to honestly face it if their country is to be successfully integrated into the European community. DVD extras include expanded interviews with four of the interviewees. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)
The Armenian Genocide
(2006) 56 min. DVD or VHS: $159.95. Films Media Group. PPR. Closed captioned. ISBN: 978-1-4213-9074-1 (dvd), 978-1-4213-9073-4 (vhs). Volume 23, Issue 5
The Armenian Genocide
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