WATERTOWN, Mass. (A.W.)—The Armenian Weekly will be screening the feature documentary film “Intent To Destroy,” at the AMC Assembly Row theatre in Somerville, Mass., on March 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available here. Please note the tickets must be purchased online by Feb. 3. Tickets will not be sold at the door.
The Armenian Weekly will be screening the feature documentary film “Intent To Destroy,” at the AMC Assembly Row theatre in Somerville, Mass., on March 15 at 7:30 p.m.
“Intent to Destroy” utilizes a novel approach to engaging with the topic of the Armenian Genocide, primarily because it intertwines three separate threads—the modern day production of “The Promise,” the history of the genocide, and the century of international repression.
Armenian Weekly Editor Rupen Janbazian says the decision to host a screening was motivated by the film’s powerful ability to “bring the plight of our people—as well as the wider issues of genocide and its denial—to the big screen.”
Berlinger has said of this unorthodox approach: “I have been long intrigued about why one of the first genocides of the 20th Century has been characterized by many as a matter of debate versus being settled as historical fact. Despite this personal interest, it nonetheless never seemed like a subject for me to pursue in a documentary because I consider myself a present-tense cinéma-vérite filmmaker who likes to capture events as they unfold as opposed to looking back at historical events. In addition, several other documentaries about the Armenian Genocide had already been made, so I wasn’t sure what I could add to the subject. But when I heard that a big-budget narrative film that was highlighting the Genocide as part of their story was going into production, I finally felt there was an interesting way to create a documentary about the subject that would add something new to the existing films out there.”
Berlinger’s artful weaving of this now century-old atrocity into a modern setting aligns with the mission of the Armenian Weekly newspaper, a longstanding publication of the Armenian Diaspora. Alongside its Armenian-language predecessor, Hairenik Weekly (founded in 1899), the Armenian Weekly is a testament to the residual scars of genocide on the Armenian nation. In its earliest years, the Hairenik Weekly even functioned as a notice board for Armenians searching for their loved ones lost during the atrocities.
Joe Berlinger (Photo: documentary.org)
The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 25, 2017, and has since won numerous awards.
“The film’s tagline is ‘A century of censorship and denial could not extinguish the truth,’ and we couldn’t agree more. We look forward to seeing our readers and supporters on March 15,” Janbazian added.
The editorial staff at the Armenian Weekly hopes that screening a film like this to the larger public will raise awareness on this issue. The AMC Assembly Row 12 is located at 395 Artisan Way, Somerville, Mass. Parking is available at Artisan West Garage (255 Artisan Way, Somerville Mass. 02145).
Tickets are $14.50 and can be purchased by clicking here. Tickets must be purchased online prior to the screening. No tickets will be sold at the door.
Visit the event’s Facebook page here.
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