Really getting into music in my late teens I started reading music mags for a few years (not NME!) With having read up a bit about the Armenian Genocide and also being a fan of the Alt-Metal band, I was interested to learn in a mag that System of a Down were making a doc on the subject. After the first reports,the doc appeared to completely disappear,with no sign of it at the cinema or on disc. Coming up to 1,500 IMDb reviews, (and having been meaning to try and track this movie down again) I went on an extensive search until I finally found the film at last,and could meet the "Screamers."The outline of the doc:With the 90th anniversary coming up, campaigns begin for the Israeli, US and UK governments to recognise the killing of 1.5 million Armenians from 1915-1918 as a Genocide. Highlighting their Armenian heritage and the events of the Genocide in their albums and live performances,the Alt-Metal band System of a Down join "Screamers" (campaigners) in their petitions for recognition on the anniversary. View on the doc:Interviewing lead singer Serj Tankian's grandfather Stepan Haytayan and fellow Genocide survivors Maritza Ohanesian and Verjin Mempreian, director Carla Garapedian goes into fascinating detail on the subject, with harrowing photos over the interviews showing the horrors which took place that the Armenian's continue to campaign for recognition. Featuring interviews with historians such as Hrant Dink, (who was killed for his comments on the Genocide in the film) Garapedian does very well at examining how the Nazis looked at the Armenian Genocide as they were planning the Holocaust.Following the band on their US & Europe tour, Garapedian mixes their peculiar performance style with the on-screen stage videos that detail the subject of their songs. Whilst the involvement of the band helps to make the film stand out, some of the song choices, (particularly ones heavy on swearing) sound ill-fitting to the serious atmosphere, with Tankian oddly deciding to wear sunglasses for most of the interviews. Whilst these are flaws,they don't distract from the Screamers.

The movie Screamers is a documentary/rockumentary that focuses on the Armenian Genocide of 1915, but also points out the atrocities that have occurred in other genocides through the present. Director Carla Garapedian follows System of a Down, an American rock band with Armenian ancestry, on their tour through the U.S. and Europe. On their tour, System of a Down educates their audience of the horrors of the past. The Armenian Genocide today, is still not recognized by the Turkish government, its perpetrators. On April 24th, the anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, System of a Down's front man Serj Tankian made his message clear. On stage before the screaming fans, he shouts, "Tonight is not just the 90th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, it's also time to break down all the walls of hypocrisy around the world with all genocides known and unknown, accepted or not accepted. It's time to make the Turkish government... to pay for their f***ing crime!" SOAD then proceeded to play their song P.L.U.C.K., which stands for Politically Lying Unholy Cowardly Killers (referring of course to the Turkish government). Half of the film is concert footage from SOAD's tour, and the other half is some very graphic footage of genocide, and interviews from researchers, survivors, etc. Most notable of these is Serj Tankian's grandfather, one of the few living survivors of the Armenian Genocide. In addition to the fact that the Armenian Genocide is still denied by the Turks today, another reason that this film is so important, is that right now there is genocide occurring in Darfur. Some of the images in Screamers are very graphic, and hard to watch, however, it is necessary that people be exposed to the truth. This is an incredibly powerful and important film. A lot of people haven't heard of this film because of it's limited release and exposure. It's a real shame because it really is an amazing film. It also helps a lot if you're a System of a Down fan.http://www.screamersmovie.com/

After the recent murder of the Turkish-Armenian journalist, Hrant Dink, who made an appearance in an interview in this documentary, I think more people should start seeing this film, which will further prove the point made in the documentary about the ongoing Genocide denial campaign in Turkey by prosecuting and eliminating outspoken intellectuals. He was shot dead on the 19th January 2007 for being outspoken about the Armenian Genocide on a number of occasions (which the Government perceives as insult of Turkishness under the Article 301), and the fact that he was murdered recently, may have something to do with his appearance in this recent documentary that had reached viewers and had made a statement on an international level.Moreover, the documentary not only raises awareness of an overlooked/forgotten tragedy (The Armenian Genocide), it also raises awareness of present-day atrocities such as the Genocide in Darfur.

In short, the film is a band documentary a la Scorsese's "The Last Waltz" except it is geared towards a specific subject matter with snippets of their touring.The concept of the film is unique in its nature. Incorporating concert footage that is relevant to the relative sequence (preceding or following) and maintaining its theme in bringing to light the politics behind the Armenian Genocide, "Screamers" consistently delivers. There is just the right amount of concert footage to keep System of a Down fans happy and just enough political characteristics to keep the moviegoers interested, with some added entertaining shots of fans that allows the ill-natured topics to be given a rest every once in a while.The beauty of the film lies in the fact that it provides feedback for the reasoning behind why Armenians still fight for recognition after 90 years. Discussing several modern genocides of the 20th and 21th Century (including the ongoing tragedy in Darfur), "Screamers" is able to relate the Armenian Genocide and its denial to contemporary accounts of why some may still think that they can get away with such atrocities.Some critiques of the film may come from politically motivated viewers, having not seen the film (as the currently ridiculous rating of 2.1/10 suggests). I am reviewing the film in a partial manner, regardless of my Armenian heritage and my views on the subject. As a film, "Screamers" is well worth your time, regardless of your political views. Whether you are Turkish, Armenian, or any ethnicity for that matter, please, watch the film before you judge it or review it.Combining music, politics, humor, and drama, this documentary will keep you entertained, provoke your thoughts on contemporary tragedies, and possibly, influence you to become a "Screamer" rather than live in your own little world, silently watching a tragedy unfold.