Armenia/Turkey/USA – 85 min. – directed by Randy Bell and Eric Hachikian – Armenian, English and Turkish with English subtitles where necessary – World Premiere
Composer Eric Hachikian’s courageous personal journey to discover his grandmother’s birth place in historic Armenia takes him to the picturesque village of Amasia in modern-day Turkey. Eric’s grandmother was never able to return to her ancestral home having been forced to march through the Syrian dessert before eventually settling in the United States. She refused to return to a place that refused to acknowledge what happened to her and her family. Following her death, her grandson Eric composed a musical piece titled Voyage to Amasia which was performed at Carnegie Hall in 2005. Using that music as an inspiration and guide, Eric fulfilled his family’s legacy by travelling through Turkey as well as visiting a village in Armenia settled by the survivors from Amasia following the Genocide. VOYAGE TO AMASIA traces a path from the past, telling not only the story of an Armenian family, but also weaving it with western politics today. The director will entertain a question and answer session following the screening.
