The "Aras documentary" project, an attempt to symbolize the shared values of Turkey and Armenia through a film featuring their shared river, have been caught up in regulations prohibiting activities along the shared border marked by the Aras River. The location of the historical Ani Ruins, planned as an important setting for the documentary, was also added to a list of highly sensitive areas that had to be removed from the filmmakers’ original plans. Despite hurdles deriving from well-known political pretexts that have kept the two nations apart for over decades, the filmmakers stuck to the title "Aras documentary," which now is reflected in the name of a young Turkish fictional character in the film’s renewed scenario.
After September’s football diplomacy between Ankara and Yerevan that marked start of a new era, filmmakers from the two nations have come together to produce a documentary conveying their hope for a continued thaw in relations. The documentary project, sponsored by the U.S. embassy in Ankara, the Turkish Armenian Business Development Council, or TABDC, and the Armenian Marketing Association, was going to show the transition from winter to summer in the Aras River region and the melting of frozen waters, symbolizing the ice-breaking efforts between the two nations.
However, during the second round of preparations in Yerevan last week, filmmakers were told that shooting in the Aras region was impossible as it lay in the border security zone and entry was prohibited by both Turkish and Armenian laws.
"The idea was to use the Aras River as a unifying symbol to remind people of shared values and similar lifestyles on both sides of the river. But unfortunately we are faced with the reality that the Aras River is a very real and thick border that separates people, leaving no space for communication or interaction," Nergis Öztürk, board member of TABDC, told the Hürriyet Daily News & Economic Review. Therefore our film team had to revise the scenario, she said, and noted other challenges they have encountered during their stay in Yerevan.
Ani ruins another red line
Amid big interest from the Armenians, the documentary team held a press conference that Öztürk said was a test to see how difficult their task was going to be. The Ani Ruins, the majority of which are located in the eastern province of Kars, regarded as the ancient capital by Armenians, was going to be another important location in the documentary. When the film team was posed questions as to where the Ani Ruins would be depicted as being located, the documentary team decided to avoid shooting in historically controversial areas.
What is left in the scenario as symbolic geography is the Akhdamar Island about three kilometers from the shore in Lake Van, famous for an ancient Armenian Church recently restored by Turkey last April as part of efforts for reconciliation. Akhdamar Island will not only be the location of the final scene of the documentary, but also inspire the name of the female character "Tamara."
According to the famous Armenian tale, a princess named Tamar lived on the island and was in love with a commoner. This boy would swim from the mainland to the island each night, guided by a light she lit for him. Her father learned of the boy's visits and one night as she waited for her lover to arrive he smashed her light leaving the boy in the middle of the lake without a guide to indicate which direction to swim. They say his dying cries of "Akh, Tamar" (Oh, Tamar) can still be heard at night.
In the documentary, Tamara is a young Armenian architect working on a dam project to be built on the River Aras. While searching for information on the Internet she finds a consultancy firm based in Turkey that offers expertise on similar projects. As Tamara phones the number available on the Internet, a young man named Aras answers the call. This is how the film starts, combining a modern love affair with a historical confrontation between the two disconnected nations. While Tamara and Aras learn about each other, both also start discovering the other country, which has been a mystery to them and a no entry zone. Finally Aras invites Tamara to Turkey for a trip that will end at Akhdamar Island. The documentary aspect of the film is contained in interviews and abstracts from historical and current developments.
Yellow bride
The famous folksong "Yellow Bride," claimed by both Turks and Armenians, is being considered for inclusion in the soundtrack to the film. "Yellow Bride" was also played at the dinner hosted by Armenian President Serge Sarkisian during President Abdullah Gül's landmark trip to Yerevan on Sept. 6.
Both the filmmakers and the sponsors refrained from making political statements, taking a firm line on 1915 events and other controversial topics that have poisoned relations between Turkey and Armenia. The team said getting involved in the recent debate triggered by the apology campaign would overshadow their ultimate aim.
"We never get into political discussions. Politicians already do this. We are the people. We want to do something different, something that has never been done before," Nergis Öztürk said.
Hurriyet
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