Screamers (2006 film)

Infobox Film
name = Screamers


caption = Poster for the film "Screamers"
director = Carla Garapedian
producer = Nick De Grunwald
writer =
starring = Serj Tankian
Daron Malakian
Shavo Odadjian
John Dolmayan
music = Jeff Atmajian
System of a Down
cinematography = Charles Rose
editing = William Yarhaus
distributor = Maya Releasing
released = flagicon|USA December 8, 2006
runtime = 89 min.
language = English
Armenian
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website = http://www.screamersmovie.com/
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0823668

"Screamers" is a 2006 documentary by director Carla Garapedian. The film explores why genocides have recurred into the modern day, and involves the band System of a Down, Serj Tankian's grandfather (who is an Armenian Genocide survivor), the human rights activist and journalist Professor Samantha Power, and various people involved with genocides in Rwanda and Darfur. "Screamers" also examines genocide denial in current day Turkey, and the trend of neutrality that the United States generally holds towards genocide.

Contributors

(in order of appearance)
* Samantha Power, Professor, Harvard University, Pulitzer prize-winning author, "A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide"
* Serj Tankian, System of a Down
* John Dolmayan, System of a Down
* Daron Malakian, System of a Down
* Shavo Odadjian, System of a Down
* Aram Hamparian, Armenian National Committee
* Stepan Haytayan, Grandfather of Serj Tankian, 96-year-old survivor of Armenian genocide
* Maritza Ohanesian, 100-year old survivor of Armenian genocide
* Michael Hagopian, Filmmaker, "Voices from the Lake", "Germany and the Secret Genocide", "The Forgotten Genocide"
* Verjin Mempreian, 96-year old survivor of Armenian genocide
* Greg Topalian, Freeman College, UK
* Henry Morgenthau III, Grandson of Henry Morgenthau, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey
* Lord Shannon, House of Lords
* Lord Avebury, House of Lords
* Baroness Cox, Deputy Speaker, House of Lords
* Charles Tannock, MEP, Conservative, European Parliament
* Tom Tsvann, Professor, Center for Holocaust and Genocide Studies Amsterdam
* Peter Galbraith, Former U.S. Senate Staff
* Vartkes Yeghiayan, "The Case of Soghomon Tehlirian" Author
* Sibel Edmonds, Former FBI translator
* Taner Akcam, Turkish historian and dissident
* Hrant Dink, Agos Newspaper, Istanbul
* Appo Jabarian, Editor, USA Armenian Life Speaking at UCLA conference
* Ara Sarafian, Gomidas Institute
* Adam Schiff, U.S. Congressman
* Salih Booker, Africa Action

Response

Critical reaction

* Screamers generally received good to average reviews from critics. Metacritic assign it a score of 55 / 100 based on a weighted average of more than 10 newspaper reviews. The New York Post's Kyle Smith was the only mentioned person to give Screamers a below average score, rating it a 12/100, indicating an extremely negative review. [ [http://www.nypost.com/seven/01262007/entertainment/movies/say_genocide__and_armenia_it_movies_kyle_smith.htm New York Post - Say Genocide, and Armenia it!] ]
* Ken Hachikian, chairman of the Armenian National Committee of America, described the documentary as a "powerful contribution to the anti-genocide movement." [ [http://www.anca.org/press_releases/press_releases.php?prid=1012 ANTI-GENOCIDE DOCUMENTARY ‘SCREAMERS’ =PREMIERES AT AFI FILM FESTIVAL=] ]
* The UN Secretary General requested to remove a sentence referring to a million Armenians being murdered during the Ottoman Empire from the Aegis Trust exhibition “Lessons from Rwanda,” and the exhibition’s subsequent cancellation [ [http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/home/index.jsp?epi-content=GENERIC&newsId=20070410006324&ndmHsc=v2*A1176202800000*B1176272947000*DgroupByDate*J1*N1000837&newsLang=en&beanID=202776713&viewID=news_view Serj Tankian and Carla Garapedian denounce cancellation of UN Genocide Exhibition Mentioning Armenians. "Los Angeles (Business Wire")] ]
* Since the films making, journalist Hrant Dink, who was interviewed for the documentary was murdered.

Awards

*In 2006, "Screamers" won the AFI Audience Award for Best Documentary. [ [http://www.afi.com/onscreen/afifest/2006/tyaaf.aspx#win AFI FEST 2006 Announces Award Winners] ]

References

External links

* [http://www.screamersmovie.com/ Official Site]
* [http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2890621768796907883 Movie Trailer] at Google Video
* [http://www.screamersmovie.com/flash/screamers_turkey_320x240_220.wmv Movie Clips]
*imdb title|id=0823668|title=Screamers
*
* [http://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/screamers Screamers] at Metacritic