A Rare Screening of the Award Winning “Crows of the Desert:” Documentary Will be Shown as Part of Levon Parian’s “Lost Memories” Exhibition at the Central Library Auditorium.
ARPA film festival, the Armenian Promise Institute UCLA, and the Glendale Central Library have joined forces to screen the award winning feature documentary, “Crows of the Desert: A Hero’s Journey through the Armenian Genocide,” followed by a discussion with director/ producer Marta Houske, executive director Paul Turpanjian, and artist/publisher Levon Parian, moderated by Helen Makhdoumian PhD of the Armenian Promise Institute.
The screening will be held on Wednesday, December 7 at 6:30 p.m., at Glendale Library, Arts & Culture’s Central Library Auditorium, located at 222 East Harvard Street. Admission will be free. Library visitors receive 3 hours of free parking across the street at The Market Place parking structure with validation at the service desk. “
“Crows of the Desert: A Hero’s Journey through the Armenian Genocide,” is a documentary based on the memoirs of Levon Yotnakhparian. It is the incredible true story of one man’s brave struggle to not only stay alive, but to help save his fellow Armenian survivors from near extinction in one of the first genocides of the 20th century.
World War One was raging in the Middle East, as Britain’s Lawrence of Arabia fought side by side with the Arabs against the Ottoman Empire. Caught up in the chaos, Levon barely escaped with his own life, time and again. Risking extreme peril, he returned to this dangerous realm to lead a small expeditionary group to rescue the scattered, destitute survivors of the Armenian Genocide. Along the way, the rescuers risked their lives countless times, endured unimaginable hardships, and crossed paths with some of the 20th century’s most legendary figures. The story reveals how people from a variety of different cultures and faiths stepped forward to help the Armenian refugees.
Extraordinarily rare film and photographs as well as recently rediscovered documents have been gathered from archives around the world, to reveal the terror and heroism in this incredible story which took place a century ago in the Syrian desert.
The documentary screening is shown in tandem with Levon Parian’s “Lost Memories” exhibit, currently on view at ReflectSpace Gallery, located inside Central Library. The event has made possible by AFFMA, Arpa Foundation for Film and Art sponsorship, and is co-sponsored by the Promise Armenian Institute at UCLA.
ReflectSpace Gallery is an inclusive exhibition gallery designed to explore and reflect on major human atrocities, genocides, civil rights violations, and other social injustices. Immersive in conception, ReflectSpace is a hybrid space that is both experiential and informative, employing art, technology, and interactive media to reflect on the past and present of Glendale’s communal fabric and interrogate current-day global human rights issues. ReflectSpace Gallery is partially supported through the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Trust. ReflectSpace is housed in Glendale Central Library and online.
Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department includes eight neighborhood libraries including the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. The department also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts destination. For more information, visit the website, or contact Library, Arts & Culture at 818-548-2021 or via email at LibraryInfo@glendaleca.gov.
Known as the “Jewel City,” Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of more than 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks, and easy access to a municipal airport. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking.
