The municipality of Bouc-Bel-Air had decided to name the square near the entrance to the city after Henri Verneuil (born Ashot Malakian) within the framework of the events dedicated to the Centennial of the Armenian Genocide.

On June 27, Mayor of Bouc-Bel-Air Richard Malie, Henri Vernueil’s wife and the families of their children Sophie and Patrick Malakian, clergymen, as well as journalists and several members of the local Armenian community attended the grand opening of the square.

In his opening remarks, Richard Malie mentioned that even though 100 years have passed since the Armenian Genocide, which is the greatest crime perpetrated by the Ottoman Empire, Turkey and the international community continue to deny it. However, there are many conscientious people, especially artists, who try to condemn Turkey once again and call on the Turkish government to recognize the Armenian Genocide through art. Among them was film director Henri Verneuil, who transmitted through films what was perhaps impossible to transmit through lectures or documentary films.

Expressing her gratitude, Henri Verneuil’s daughter, Sophi Malakian mentioned that in the films “Mother” and “Paradi Street, House 588”, her father was able to correctly and figuratively describe the state of Armenian refugees having survived the Armenian Genocide and settled in Marseilles, touched people around the world and presented the will of the Armenian migrants to overcome death and all the difficulties.