Last week, on March 9, the documentary film, “Crows of the Desert -A Hero’s Journey through the Armenian Genocide” played in Dublin, Ireland. The screening was part of The Silk Road International Film Festival.
The festival played selected films throughout small theaters in the Temple Bar area of Dublin.
Levon Parian, the grandson and editor of the book, his wife Maro and daughter Sona arrived to see the film presented
“Such a fascinating location.’ Crows’ was shown in the back of a little bookstore in the middle of this cultural mecca in the heart of the old city of Dublin. Armenian-Irish well-wishers made us feel right at home opening their homes and hearts to us. We even visited a Genocide Memorial -walking distance from the theatre,” said Parian.
Last year, this award winning documentary inspired Los Angeles County Supervisors Hahn and Barger to proclaim the month of April as “Armenian History Month.” The film is going to be shown in two more festivals in the near future. Two showings at the Sebastopol (Calif.) Documentary Film Festival are scheduled for Saturday March 24 at 4:45 p.m. and Sunday March 25 at 12:30 p.m. at the Rialto Cinemas, 6868 McKinely Street. GET TICKETS.
The next festival screening will be on April 9, at noon at the American Documentary Film Festival at the Camelot Theatres, in Palm Springs. GET TICKETS.
The film itself is unique in the fact that it is made with a considerable amount of footage and photos from the actual era and places the viewer in the thick of the story. In 1909, Levon Yotnakhparian joined the Ottoman military and eventually found himself in the middle of the genocide against his people. This is his story of escape through the desert and subsequent return to the Syrian Desert on a quest to save thousands of other stranded and orphaned Armenians. If you have read the story of Lawrence of Arabia, you will appreciate this memoir as he travels through the same deserts to Al Aqaba. Levon Yotnakhparian was able to collect photos and documents from the British and Arab High Command that allowed him to stop military trains and load survivors to safety.
“Crows of the Desert -A Hero’s Journey through the Armenian Genocide” is produced, written and directed by Marta Houske, executive produced by Paul Turpanjian with music by John Massari. It is based on the memoirs of Levon Yotnakhparian, which was edited by Levon Parian
