Screamers

I tried not to prejudge this film from its IMDb entry because the whole page seemed loaded with politics rather than viewing the film as a film. The voted ratings appeared to be slanted all the way to the negative, while the comments are on the other extreme, and seem to be mostly written by the converted who the film was preaching to. Regardless I thought I would watch it despite not knowing what it was really going to be about.

I found a film that was strong in some areas and weak in others. The strengthen is in its educational value as it discusses the secret genocide of the Armenian people by Turkey in the early twentieth century and how it also dovetails it into other genocides. Knowing almost nothing about this genocide I found these parts of the film to be quite fascinating and revealing as various experts contribution to the discussion of the past as well as the ongoing denials. The former is naturally shocking because of the diaries, stories and photographs paint a typically gutting view of how evil humans can be. However the latter sections are just as fascinating because it is very clear and critical about the powers that be that deny genocides (this one and modern ones); we know this of course but it is never less that shocking to see it.

System of a Down deserve credit for using their fame to try and bring the subject to a wider audience by making this film but the problem is that they do actually achieve the opposite effect. At the start of the film there is far too much of a focus on the band and their music and, while this is fine for fans, I personally found it quite off-putting, mainly because I didn't really care for their music. This meant that I found myself struggling to get into the film in the first 15 minutes. After this though, the film steps back from them a bit and gets better at balancing the mix between documentary on the genocide and less of a rockumentary. The approach does rather mean though that marketing the film is difficult and it is most likely to be watched by those politically aware (the converted) and the band's fan base, which is certainly a smaller audience than the subject matter deserves.

An interesting and informative documentary then thanks to the contributions of experts and the sense of history. Just a shame that it spends so much time on the band's performances because I imagine that would rather deter the casual viewer such as myself.

The movie Screamers is a documentary/rockumentary that focuses on the Armenian Genocide of 1915, but also points out the atrocities that have occurred in other genocides through the present. Director Carla Garapedian follows System of a Down, an American rock band with Armenian ancestry, on their tour through the U.S. and Europe. On their tour, System of a Down educates their audience of the horrors of the past. The Armenian Genocide today, is still not recognized by the Turkish government, its perpetrators. On April 24th, the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, System of a Down's front man Serj Tankian made his message clear. On stage before the screaming fans, he shouts, "Tonight is not just the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, it's also time to break down all the walls of hypocrisy around the world with all genocides known and unknown, accepted or not accepted. It's time to make the Turkish government... to pay for their f***ing crime!" SOAD then proceeded to play their song P.L.U.C.K., which stands for Politically Lying Unholy Cowardly Killers (referring of course to the Turkish government). Half of the film is concert footage from SOAD's tour, and the other half is some very graphic footage of genocide, and interviews from researchers, survivors, etc. Most notable of these is Serj Tankian's grandfather, one of the few living survivors of the Armenian Genocide. In addition to the fact that the Armenian Genocide is still denied by the Turks today, another reason that this film is so important, is that right now there is genocide occurring in Darfur. Some of the images in Screamers are very graphic, and hard to watch, however, it is necessary that people be exposed to the truth. This is an incredibly powerful and important film. A lot of people haven't heard of this film because of it's limited release and exposure. It's a real shame because it really is an amazing film. It also helps a lot if you're a System of a Down fan.

http://www.screamersmovie.com/

I am happy that System of Down had a courage to make this movie. I watched the movie, it was excellent. The movie deserves 10 out of 10. The low rating on this website is just a result of Turkish propaganda, that wants to hide the truth and deny the genocide... The movie clearly shows how turks try to kill all the attempts of recognition of the genocide. However the truth is not possible to hide and as a Turkish writer (who recently got a Noble Prize for speaking about Armenian genocide) said instead of denying the truth Turkey will get more respect if it recognizes the genocide. More and more countries are declaring the recognition of the Armenian genocide. Unfortunately my country, the US hasn't declare that yet motivated by political reasons (it's more convenient to have a big country like Turkey as a political partner as a small Armenia which does not have a political power). Nevertheless, my state California has recognized the fact of genocide...

After the recent murder of the Turkish-Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink, who made an appearance in an interview in this documentary, I think more people should start seeing this film, which will further prove the point made in the documentary about the ongoing Genocide denial campaign in Turkey by prosecuting and eliminating outspoken intellectuals. He was shot dead on the 19th January 2007 for being outspoken about the Armenian Genocide on a number of occasions (which the Government perceives as insult of Turkishness under the Article 301), and the fact that he was murdered recently, may have something to do with his appearance in this recent documentary that had reached viewers and had made a statement on an international level.

Moreover, the documentary not only raises awareness of an overlooked/forgotten tragedy (The Armenian Genocide), it also raises awareness of present-day atrocities such as the Genocide in Darfur.

In short, the film is a band documentary a la Scorsese's "The Last Waltz" except it is geared towards a specific subject matter with snippets of their touring.

The concept of the film is unique in its nature. Incorporating concert footage that is relevant to the relative sequence (preceding or following) and maintaining its theme in bringing to light the politics behind the Armenian Genocide, "Screamers" consistently delivers. There is just the right amount of concert footage to keep System of a Down fans happy and just enough political characteristics to keep the moviegoers interested, with some added entertaining shots of fans that allows the ill-natured topics to be given a rest every once in a while.

The beauty of the film lies in the fact that it provides feedback for the reasoning behind why Armenians still fight for recognition after 90 years. Discussing several modern genocides of the 20th and 21th Century (including the ongoing tragedy in Darfur), "Screamers" is able to relate the Armenian Genocide and its denial to contemporary accounts of why some may still think that they can get away with such atrocities.

Some critiques of the film may come from politically motivated viewers, having not seen the film (as the currently ridiculous rating of 2.1/10 suggests). I am reviewing the film in a partial manner, regardless of my Armenian heritage and my views on the subject. As a film, "Screamers" is well worth your time, regardless of your political views. Whether you are Turkish, Armenian, or any ethnicity for that matter, please, watch the film before you judge it or review it.

Combining music, politics, humor, and drama, this documentary will keep you entertained, provoke your thoughts on contemporary tragedies, and possibly, influence you to become a "Screamer" rather than live in your own little world, silently watching a tragedy unfold.