LOS ANGELES--(Business Wire)--
"Screamers," the critically-acclaimed documentary about genocide
in the last century, with music by the Grammy award-winning rock band
'System of a Down,' was featured last week at the United Nations
Refugee Film Festival 2008 in Tokyo, sponsored by UNHCR and Japan for
UNHCR.
UNHCR called the festival a "vital component of UNHCR's year round
action plan to raise awareness of the plight and triumph of the
world's 33 million refugees and internally displaced persons. A select
array of films from across the globe gives voice to seldom-heard
stories of hope, despair, and resilience. In line with World Refugee
Day's theme for this year, the festival draws attention to the human
side of refugees."
"We included 'Screamers' in the festival this year because it
looks at the history of genocide and what is happening in
Darfur--through the eyes of history," says Festival Director Kirill
Konin.
"Film is an important medium to introduce the many aspects of the
lives and circumstances of refugees across the world, and through this
entertainment vehicle, create better awareness and understanding,"
said Angelina Jolie, UNHCR's Goodwill Ambassador.
"Screamers" examines the repeating pattern of genocide, from the
Armenian genocide, to the Holocaust, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, up to
Darfur today. After its theatrical release in the US and Canada, the
documentary was screened in the U.S. Congress, British Parliament and
European Parliament to raise awareness about Darfur and genocide
education. Sony BMG has recently launched "Screamers" DVD.
Director Carla Garapedian, who has made documentaries about
Afghanistan and Chechnya, led discussion sessions at the UNHCR
Festival for "Screamers" as well as "Letter to Anna," about the murder
of Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya, directed by Eric Bergkraut,
and "Kite Runner," the uplifting story of truth and redemption in
Afghanistan, directed by Marc Foster. Director Steve Thomas was
on-hand to discuss his film "Hope" about the journey of an Iraqi
refugee family to Australia.
"We must remember history," said Garapedian. "After the Armenian
genocide, the U.S. opened its doors to thousands of refugee survivors
from Ottoman Turkey, including my family. If they hadn't done that, I
wouldn't be here."
The UNHCR screening of "Screamers" follows a dispute in April 2007
at the United Nations headquarters in New York, where the Turkish
delegation demanded reference to the Armenian genocide be omitted from
an exhibition entitled, "Lessons from Rwanda," sponsored by the Aegis
Trust. After a three-week delay, and criticisms from the media and
former UN Commander Romeo Daillaire, reference to the Armenian
genocide remained in the exhibition, but only after the word "murder"
was changed to "mass killings."
Turkey continues to deny that its successors committed genocide.
Under its penal code, it will prosecute anyone who raises the issue on
the grounds of "insulting Turkishness." Last week, publisher Ragip
Zaracolu was sentenced to five months in prison, commuted to a fine,
for publishing a book about the Armenian genocide. Hrant Dink, a
Turkish-Armenian newspaper editor and contributor to "Screamers", was
also being prosecuted under the code before he was assassinated last
year. Meanwhile, U.S. Senate confirmation hearings for the new
ambassador-elect to the Republic of Armenia, Marie Yovanovitch, were
postponed last week because the State Department has delayed
responding to Senators' questions about the ambassador-elect's
position on Armenian genocide recognition. The position has been
unfilled since Ambassador John Evans was recalled two years ago by the
Bush Administration for recognizing the Armenian genocide. Another
Ambassador-elect, Richard Hoagland, was withdrawn last year after a
Senate hold.
GS Entertainment Marketing Group
Steven Zeller, 323-860-0270
or
MG2 Productions
info@screamersmovie.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
