Oxford University Armenian Society hosts a screening of the film “The Blue Book” by Gagik Karagheuzian and Ara Sarafian

Publish Date: May 25, 2011

Time: 6:30pm – 9:00pm
Location: New College, Lecture Room 6
Street: Holywell Street, OX1 3BN
City/Town: Oxford, United Kingdom

The Oxford University Armenian Society and Oxford Aegis Society host a joint screening of the film “The Blue Book” by Gagik Karagheuzian and Ara Sarafian.

A recently completed documentary concerning the 1916 British Parliamentary report called, “The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1915-16.” My documentary film follows how the integrity of this publication is “denied” at the highest levels of the Turkish State.

The Blue Book was prepared and published by Viscount James Bryce who was Regius Professor of Civil Law at Oxford (1887-1893). The report consists of damming eye witness accounts describing systematic destruction of Armenians during 1915-16. The report was edited by Arnold J Toynbee who studied history at Winchester College and Balliol College, Oxford. He had just graduated from Oxford when he was brought in by Bryce to help with the compilation of the report.

The film focuses on Ara Sarafian’s campaign to reject a petition by Turkish Grand National Assembly sent to the British parliament in 2005, where Ankara called on the UK parliament to repudiate the veracity of the 1916 Blue Book. The Turks insisted that the British publication was a forgery.

This observational documentary follows Sarafian from 2005 to June 2009, as he worked with British parliamentarians to reject the Turkish position, and then take the argument to an Istanbul University conference in Turkish-Armenian relations, a mainstream Turkish current affairs programme on Turkish television, and eventually to release a Turkish translation of the Blue Book in Ankara.

The film successfully exposes the weakness of the Turkish denialist argument and the duplicity of Turkish authorities.

Speakers: Lord Eric Avebury (TBC), Professor Theo Van Lint, Mr. Ara Sarafian, Mr. Gagik Karagheuzian

This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For more information, phone and email Mihran Vardanyan, info@oxarm.com 07951390800

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United Kingdom