Voyage to Ararat

Belgian-born of Turkish parents, Tülin makes a daring odyssey into her cultural past to resolve deeply troubling historical events. Disassembling barriers, and laying the groundwork for mourning and peace…

A documentary by TÜLIN ÖZDEMIR

synopsis

Voyage to Ararat is the story of a woman’s poetic and compelling journey, in search of the truth about her cultural heritage. Starting from her childhood schoolyard in Belgium, she travels through Europe and Turkey, to Armenia. Questioning the Turkish identity that was passed on to her, she embarks on a quest to confront her country’s stereotypes and inner demons. In the Armenian capital of Yerevan, the director disassembles traditional clichés and barriers, laying the groundwork for both mourning and peace.

director Tülin Özdemir about her film

“The film opens where my first doubts took root: my childhood schoolyard. It is then and there that I grew conscious of dark events buried in my country’s past that I was not to meddle with. Today, as an adult, I leave Brussels on a quest to forge my own opinion, far from preconceived ideas. By train, I cross geographic borders, delving into the complexity of my cultural heritage as a Turk. My voyage takes me across Europe, to where my native Turkey ends: my grandmother’s village in Anatolia.
And I carry on… I must journey to find my own truth, my own relationship to Turkey’s national heritage, my own modern posture in regards to the genocide. To this end, I travel to the border between Turkey and Armenia, where the great Mount Ararat stands tall. The border is closed. Mount Ararat rises up between the two nations like a mirror, where each side sees it’s own projected history, but not what lies beyond. I finally cross into Armenia (through Georgia), where great plains stretch on to the capital, Yerevan.
Then, the unavoidable question is put to me: as a Turk, do I recognize the genocide? As I pick my way through the capital, meeting many characters, I am bewildered by an encounter. I come upon an Armenian musician, an accordion-player. Armenia then becomes a love story. Is love possible between an Armenian and a Turk? And if so, on which historical interpretation do we build our love?”

production

production by Stenola Productions and Associate Directors
with support of Flanders Audiovisual Fund and Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel
status: in preproduction
realease: spring 2013