HOLLYWOOD—The documentary feature, Crows of the Desert has been
nominated by the ARPA International Film Festival as Best Documentary
Film for the 2016 season. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Marta
Houske, the film had its world premiere on Saturday, November 5th
in the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood.
Based on the highly acclaimed memoirs of Levon Yotnakhparian, the
film chronicles the incredible true story of one man’s desperate
struggle to not only stay alive but to help save his people from near
extinction in the 20th century’s first genocide. According to Levon
Parian, the grandson of Levon Yotnakhparian, it was his father who
inspired him to publish the memoirs. He notes, “My grandfather was never
able to publish his very important autobiography of what he did during
and after the Armenian Genocide. His was part of an effort organized by
diaspora Armenians to save their countrymen from complete annihilation
by Ottoman forces. He represented and addressed the needs of the
Armenians starving in the deserts of Syria. He lead a team that gave
thousands of Armenians the hope of survival.” The family gathered to
facilitate the completion of the book: Parian’s mother translated it
into English with Parian handling the editing and the layout, his wife
outlined the maps, various aunts and cousins supplied photos and
documents, while his father, Benjamin—Levon Yotnakhparian’s son—“did the
prodding.”
Three years of research, translating, editing and map-making
transformed Yotnakhparian’s memoirs into the book Crows of the Desert: A
Hero’s Journey Through the Armenian Genocide (2012). The memoirs have
since encountered yet another transformation, this time into a
documentary film. Executive Producer Paul Turpanjian and TF Educational
Foundation, along with producer-director Marta Houske offer audiences a
rare and stirring insight into the plight of survivors all but lost
throughout the Syrian Desert. Completing the film is a moving score
composed by renowned musician John Massari, in collaboration with a
stellar cast of world-class instrumentalists and composers: Ara
Dabandjian, Alan Derian, Ruben Harutyunian, Armen Ksajikian and Razdan
Kuyumjian.
Set against the backdrop of World War I raging through the Arabian
Peninsula, the film recounts the astonishing heroics of an extraordinary
group of men who endured great tribulations in order to save the lives
of countless thousands of Armenian genocide survivors scattered
throughout the desert. Along the way, they would risk their lives on
multiple occasions, endure unimaginable hardships, and cross paths with
legendary figures such as Prince Faisal and Lawrence of Arabia. Several
additional years of meticulous research has uncovered extraordinarily rare film
footage and photographs, as well as recently rediscovered documents
gathered from archives around the world to reveal a harrowing journey
that is at once heart wrenching and inspirational.
“Crows of the Desert” Trailer
https://vimeo.com/181887769
