Last year, six Armenian, Greek, Bosnian, Serb and Palestinian film directors were invited to Istanbul within the scope of the title Do Not Forget Me Istanbul and each of them was told to prepare a 15-minute film about Istanbul. One of those six film directors was Eric Nazarian who directed a short film called “Constantinople” with well-known French-Armenian actress Jackie Nersisyan as the main character.

E. Nazarian’s film “Constantinople”, which is one of the 6 films of Do Not Forget Me Istanbul, was screened at the 2011 Istanbul Film Festival on April 15 and 16 and became the first film in which the actor pronounces the word “Genocide” in Turkey.

The director sat down for an interview with George Aturian about his film and we present the interview in its entirety:

“Hayernaysor”: What is “Istanbul as the European Capital of Culture 2010”?

Eric Nazarian: As far as I know, the “European Capital of Culture” was the idea of great Greek actress Melina Mercury. Mercury, who was Greek Minister of Culture in the 1980s, came up with the idea of having a capital become the “capital of culture” for a whole year. It was a brilliant idea in the sense of getting acquainted with each other’s cultures. Throughout the years, many cities joined this program, including Athens, Madrid, Stockholm, Lisbon and more. In 2010, three cities were selected as capitals of culture, including Hessen, Pax and Istanbul.

“Hayernaysor”: How did you happen to be part of the program Do Not Forget Me Istanbul?

E. N.: My friend Chiktem Matr introduced me to the program. The producer, Hussein Karapey invited me to present an Armenian story within the scope of short films about Istanbul by Greek, Serb, Bosnian and Palestinian directors. A couple of years ago, I wrote the screenplay for a long film called “Constantinople” about a Diaspora Armenian who leaves for Istanbul to find his grandfather’s store, which was destructed during the Armenian Genocide. Taking into consideration that the the material for the program (Do Not Forget Me Istanbul) was about not forgetting the cultures of the past that enriched Istanbul, I thought about shooting a shorter version of the long film to make it adapt to the program.

I had thought about that film so much that I was ready to take the “journey” without facing any barriers. Directing the film “Constantinople” was a good test for me and an interesting challenge to condense the motley fervor, music and nature and include all that in my film. Istanbul is a mixed city with a rich history. The city is like an enormous onion-you won’t get to the core no matter how many layers you cut. I used to cut a new layer every day, found something new and tried to record that through images. I learned a lot about the history of Istanbul from the godfather of our marvelous film direction and veteran Petros Markaris who was born to an Armenian family in Istanbul.

“Hayernaysor”: What is “Constantinople” about?

E. N.: As the film’s main character Armenak says, “Armenians call Istanbul Constantinople”. The film tells the story of a Diaspora Armenian ut player who returns to Constantinople to participate in a festival. While preparing for the festival, he travels to Katiko in Anatolian part of the city with a photo of his grandfather Armenak in his hand. Armenak had a store whose address is written on the back of the photo. On his way, the Diaspora Armenian meets a Turkish widow who lives in the building in which his grandfather’s store was located. During their journey, the Armenian Genocide and the period that followed, the film tells the story of Armenak’s family.
The inside and outside image of a Diaspora Armenian had never been on the big screen in Turkey. I tried to describe all characters as much as I could. I thank my friend Vahe Berberian who inspired me. Vahe inspired me with his passion for music and the ut.

“Hayernaysor”: How was it like to shoot a film and work in Turkey?

E. N.: It was wonderful to work with marvelous actors like Jackiei Nersisyan and Sarah Eilma. They made the characters of my film come to life with their enthusiasm and sweetness. Taking into consideration the fact that this was my first time shooting a film in Istanbul, I had previously parepared as much as I could and left little up to fate because we didn’t have much time to shoot scenes in different sites. The crew got along perfectly. We shot the film quickly, toured Istanbul, shot different scenes by starting from the Armenian Apostolic Cemetery of Shishli all the way to the coast of Bosphor where there was a Greek building of the past century in Katikoy. I would like the film to become the Istanbul through the eyes of a Diaspora Armenian who is returning to his roots.

“Hayernaysor”: What did you feel the first time you visited Istanbul?

E. N.: In the beginning, it was very hard to explain my impressions. I had a longing. I grew up by reading about the “Old Constantinople” in the books by Ara Kuler, Siamanto, Daniel Varuzhan, Orhan Pamuk and Hrant Dink. I wanted to go there, but the bad spirit of the Armenian Genocide would pursue me. Hrant Dink’s ghost accompanied me. He was truly the guardian angel of reconciliation between Armenians and Turks. I will never forget the second I reached Constantinople. The images of Hrant Dink, Komitas, Zabel Yesaian and Grigor Zohrab, the arrests and deportations of April 24 flashed in front of my eyes and made me think. But I also wanted to see modern-day Istanbul and not see the city by remembering April 24. The people and friends who I worked with made the experience unforgettable.

I respect the heritage of the Armenians of Constantinople and everything that the Armenians contributed to the spheres of culture, art, architecture, language and other spheres. During the visit, I also heard many stories from the people I met. They said: “My grandmother was Armenian…my brother’s doctor was Armenian…my teacher Jacob Efentin was Armenian…” I met fans of the rock band System Of A Down and that was pleasant. I hope that this short film will become a story that Armenians and Turks will share with each other while drinking coffee or speaking of a certain topic. I would like to make films that will reveal connections that we couldn’t have imagined. In my film, i have used the song “Sari Sirun Yar” (Beautiful Girl of the Mountain) because I listened to my mother sing that song when I was younger.

“Hayernaysor”: Is there any objection to the Armenian Genocide in your film?

E. N.: Yes, Armenak tells the story of his Ayntap and Arabkir family during the Armenian Genocide. It is very important for the audience to realize that the Diaspora formed primarly by Western Armenians is a result of the Armenian Genocide. Hrant Dink said people should know the truth and have the conscience to come to grips with what happened in 1915. We Armenians will take the spirit of our ancestors wherever we go, especially to Istanbul, which was the place where the events of April 24 began. As a director, for me it is important to turn the film “Constantinople” into a story about Armenians and Turks by discovering the emotional connection and coming to grips with the past.

“Hayernaysor”: When and within what framework will “Constantinople” be shown?

E. N.: We are waiting for the news. The film was screened in Istanbul in April and I received a call from my friends telling me that the audience was touched.

“Hayernaysor”: What are your plans for the future?

E. N.: I am currently working on several projects, including “Music For Strangers” and the long version of “Constantinople”.

Interview by George Aturian