Istanbul: IG @sonatatoyan April, 2015 ...
Recently I discovered a lovely fresh pressed juice bar in #Istanbul. Chatting with the guys behind the counter I learn one is from #Aleppo (the owner), relocating here due to the war. Of course we have plenty to bond over: my childhood recollections ... His few phrases of Western Armenian due to his close friendships, the fact that Syrian cuisine, specifically Syrian-Armenian, is the best in the world ...
The other young man is Turkish. They ask me what I'm doing here and I say I'm doing some research work for a feature film on the #ArmenianGenocide. The Turkish guy looks at me and says, "Well, you may not like me too much after I tell you something. My great-grandfather killed your ancestors." I stare at him. Him at me. A bottomless moment. I ask, "how do you know?" He replies, "I have his sword."
He pulls out his great- grandfather's photo and he has the exact same eyes.
He tells me he's an actor. He'd like to audition for my film. He goes to grab his belongings to leave and asks "so, is the film completely against us? And I say, "The film speaks the truth. It is not for or against anyone or anything but the truth."
He brings over his cymbal case (a musician preparing to go to rehearsal) and of course they are made by Avedis Ziljian - the best/most famous cymbal maker in the world, the Armenian who first made these cymbals in Istanbul in the 17th century... One of the oldest companies in the world ...
He straps the cymbals on and turns to me and says, "Well look. I carry you on my back. I always carry you on my back."
Recently I discovered a lovely fresh pressed juice bar in #Istanbul. Chatting with the guys behind the counter I learn one is from #Aleppo (the owner), relocating here due to the war. Of course we have plenty to bond over: my childhood recollections ... His few phrases of Western Armenian due to his close friendships, the fact that Syrian cuisine, specifically Syrian-Armenian, is the best in the world ...
The other young man is Turkish. They ask me what I'm doing here and I say I'm doing some research work for a feature film on the #ArmenianGenocide. The Turkish guy looks at me and says, "Well, you may not like me too much after I tell you something. My great-grandfather killed your ancestors." I stare at him. Him at me. A bottomless moment. I ask, "how do you know?" He replies, "I have his sword."
He pulls out his great- grandfather's photo and he has the exact same eyes.
He tells me he's an actor. He'd like to audition for my film. He goes to grab his belongings to leave and asks "so, is the film completely against us? And I say, "The film speaks the truth. It is not for or against anyone or anything but the truth."
He brings over his cymbal case (a musician preparing to go to rehearsal) and of course they are made by Avedis Ziljian - the best/most famous cymbal maker in the world, the Armenian who first made these cymbals in Istanbul in the 17th century... One of the oldest companies in the world ...
He straps the cymbals on and turns to me and says, "Well look. I carry you on my back. I always carry you on my back."
RSS Feed