Blog Archives
Armenian, Jewish Communities to Screen ‘Denial’ to Commemorate Armenian Genocide, Holocaust
As Armenians and Jews around world will gather on April 24th to commemorate Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day and Yom HaShoah, which happen to fall on the same day this year, the local Boca Raton Armenian and Jewish communities are happy to announce a joint program of remembrance with a screening of the film ‘Denial’ at Congregation B’nai Isreal, 2200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431 on Sunday, April 23rd at 6:00pm.
Based on the book Denial: Holocaust History on Trial, DENIAL recounts Deborah E. Lipstadt’s (Academy Award® winner Rachel Weisz) legal battle for historical truth against David Irving (BAFTA nominee Timothy Spall), who accused her of libel when she declared him a Holocaust denier. In the English legal system, in cases of libel, the burden of proof is on the defendant, therefore it was up to Lipstadt and her legal team, led by Richard Rampton (Academy Award® nominee Tom Wilkinson), to prove the essential truth that the Holocaust occurred.
The event is FREE and open to the public. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served. Brief remarks will be delivered by local Armenian and Jewish community leaders. The evening will conclude with a candlelit prayer service.
Please RSVP in advance by clicking on the image below.
About the organizers:
Armenian Genocide Commemoration, Inc (AGC) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose purpose is to observe and commemorate the Armenian Genocide of 1915 when the Ottoman Turkish Empire systematically annihilated 1.5 million Armenians through a campaign of ethnic cleansing, as well as raise public awareness of all genocides. AGC is responsible for planning and executing all Armenian Genocide related activities within Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties.
Founded in 1989, Congregation B’Nai Israel is now considered one of the landmark reform congregations in the country. With nearly 1,000 families, a religious school serving over 600 students, and early childhood programs considered one of the finest in the nation, Congregation B’nai Israel, or CBI, is more than just a synagogue. It is a thriving and connected Jewish community, joyfully inspired by tradition and passionately committed to worship, study and repairing the world.
Florida Premier of ‘Earthquake’ to Take Place in Miami on March 2
MIAMI, FL – The Florida premier of ‘Earthquake,’ a drama set in Soviet Armenia about the tragic 1988 earthquake in Gyumri (Leninakan), Armenia will take place at the O Cinema in Miami Beach, Florida on Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 7:00pm. This will be the first and only screening of the film in Florida.
Based on a true story, ‘Earthquake’ is a dramatized recreation of one of the Soviet Union’s most devastating natural disasters — a massive 7.0 earthquake that struck northern Armenia in December 1988 — produced by Mars Media in Russia and directed by Sarik Andreasyan. ‘Earthquake’ tells the story of the massive quake that struck Armenia’s second largest city, destroyed more than 300 communities, and killed about 30,000 people.
Focused around the story of two young men, Andrey Berezhnov and Robert Melkonyan, whose fates were already intertwined by an earlier tragedy — a car crash caused by Andrey that killed Robert’s parents — the film brings them together in the same rescue squad of Gyumri (formerly Leninakan) as they struggle to cope with a disaster that eclipses their own personal stories.
Directed by Sarik Andreasyan, the film is in Russian with English subtitles. It was selected by Armenia as an entry for the 89th Academy Awards in the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Tickets are $18 (non-refundable and can not be exchanged) and available for purchase online here. The film is only for viewers 16 years+, and not recommended for pregnant women and people suffering from heart disease
You can RSVP on Facebook and connect with other attendees here. For background information on the Gyumri earthquake, watch the ABC News coverage from 1988 below.
Florida Armenians Participate in Premier of Armenian-American Film “HERE” at Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival
By Tina Varjabedian
FLArmenians Miami Contributor
Ft. Lauderdale, FL – On Thursday, October 25, Cinema Paradiso premiered “HERE,” an Armenian-American film, at Ft. Lauderdale’s International Film Festival (FLIFF). Arsine Kaloustian-Rosenthal, Florida Armenians (FLArmenians) Communications Director, opened the program by introducing the Armenian culture and FLArmenians to the diverse audience in attendance. She explained that the Armenian community has been present in Florida for over 50 years and that St. David was the first Armenian Church in Florida. She added, “Today we have 5 churches and 2 mission parishes with approximately 30,000 Armenian-Americans across the great State of Florida.”
Kaloustian-Rosenthal then introduced local favorite, renowned Armenian musician Joe Zeytoonian of Harmonic Motion, who played cultural Armenian melodies on the Oud. The audience then asked Mr. Zeytoonian questions about the Oud instrument and about different Armenian songs and melodies. Mr. Zeytoonian warmly discussed details about the audience’s questions and the instrument, explaining that the Oud is a unique and ancient Armenian/Anatolian instrument that has been around since the 7th century.
Joe Zeytoonian, Tina Varjabedian and Arsine Kaloustian-Rosenthal at FLIFF
The film HERE is shot entirely on Armenian soil and showcases the captivating and magnificent landscapes of Armenia. Although the film is primarily in English, it contains many segments throughout where the Armenian language is spoken with subtitles. HERE demonstrates various intense themes, the primary one being soul searching. The film displays the complex relationship between expatriate Armenian photographer Gadarine Najarian (Lubna Azabal) and satellite-mapping engineer Will Shepard (Ben Foster), who decide to continue their journey together, unknowing to where this decision can take them both personally and professionally. Inspired by the Armenian scenery displayed in the film, Arsine Kaloustian-Rosenthal expressed, “The film provided us a very intimate window into the landscape of Armenia – something many of us had never seen before. For a few hours, director Braden King transported us from the Ft. Lauderdale Film Festival to the land of our ancestors. It was a lovely escape.”
When asked why he chose Armenia as the landscape for this film, director Braden King explained, “As I explored further, Armenia – its history, landscape, location, people and culture – became another collaborator, a third co-writer. When I visited for the first time in 2004, it was instantly clear that Armenia was the most precise lens through which to focus in on HERE’s story and themes. Within the first few hours of that very first trip, there was no place else to go.”
Watch and listen to Joe Zeytoonian on the Oud below:
Florida Armenians 