BACKGROUND TO PROJECT
STAND-UP
(in Jerusalem, with Church of the Holy
Sepulchre in the background)
The
beginning of relations between Armenia and Ethiopia is covered with the dust of
antiquity, when caravans from Armenia, Asia Minor and Assyria, travelled
towards Arabia Felix and reached as far as Aksum.
During the centuries that followed, Christianization of the Kingdom
of Aksum (in the first half of the 4th century A.D) ecumenical assemblies and
theological disputes brought Christian Armenia and Ethiopia very close in their
doctrinal views.
Subsequently,
the nations congregated around the Holy Shrine, including Assyrians, Copts and
Armenians and Ethiopians among them, moulded the culture of Eastern
Christianity - a world which was rather different from Rome and
Constantinople.
This
theological divide was reflected in legal and political records of the Holy
City. The Ethiopians, along with other Eastern Christian nations, were viewed
among those who guarded, together with Armenians, the Holy Sepulcher and
protected it from Prophet Mohammed, Osman, Saladin, Ottoman Sultans and Kinds
of Europe.
Further
cultural, political and diplomatic contacts between the two nations, Armenians
and Ethiopians, attested to the important role that Armenian played in
introducing Ethiopia to the World. Although Christian Ethiopia was out of sight
for many Christians of Europe, the country became increasingly exposed to the
European system of values in 16th-17th centuries, thanks to the efforts of
Armenian diplomats, travellers and clergy. Click
here to read more...
ROYAL
ORCHESTRA
After the 1915 Great Armenian Genocide, numerous
Armenian orphans took refuge in Armenian monasteries and charitable
institutions. Hundreds of orphans who had survived the Genocide found shelter
in "Araratian" orphanage founded in Saint Hakobian monastery of Jerusalem under
the patronage of Patriarch Yeghishe Durian. The Araratian brass band formed
from forty orphans was moved to Ethiopia by the crown prince of Ethiopia Ras
Tafari who visited Jerusalem in 1924, by the mutual consent of the Armenian
Patriarch. Soon the bank became the gem of the Ethiopian kingdom, while the
head of the band G Nalbandian received the rank of
centurion.
The number of Armenians
increased in various cities of Ethiopia, and they faithfully served for the
benefit of the centuries-old Armenian-Ethiopian
traditions.
Click here to read more...
About Hovannes
Tutungi
HOVANNES
TUTUNGI (1630-1703) AND THE STORY OF FILTHY TOBACCO
Haroutune K. Armenian and
Merujan Karapetian
Two poems from the seventeenth century titled
"About Tobacco" and "The Story of Filthy Tobacco" decry the harmful effects of
tobacco in the classical Armenian literature. These poems are unusual in their
denunciation of tobacco use. The author of the first poem is identified as
Hovannes or John while the second poem is anonymous but also probably authored
by Hovannes because of similarity of content and style.
We present here the poem "About Tobacco" that has Hovannes as its
author with a short biography of the author. The clear arguments against the
use of tobacco developed by Hovannes in his own time contain a strong
prevention message, more than 250 years prior to any association being
established about the relationship of tobacco to major morbidity and mortality.
Click
here to read more...
PROJECT ETHIOPIA - A WORK IN
PROGRESS
Work on this project started in earnest in
January 2008, though the seed had been planted in Artur Bakhtamyan's minds eye,
some 3 or 4 years previously, when filming Armenians of Venice, during which
he'd been informed in depth of the Ethiopian Diaspora and its colourful and
great past.
A long time has been spent researching the
topic, over the past few years and while Bakhtamyan was in London, during March
2008, he met with prominent Ethio-Armenians, who are now permanently living in
UK and other parts of Europe.
These meetings included time spent with Mrs Alice Garabedian, who
herself was born in Ethiopia and lived there until 1975, when she moved to
London with her family.
She was able to also show many old photographs, Ethiopian Crosses and
school papers, from her time there.
Mrs Garabedian was able to narrate in detail the
life of Armenians in Ethiopia during the years she lived there, and also share
her memories, passed down from her parents and other members of her
family. |
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| Wedding photograph of Mrs Garabedian's
parents in Ethiopia |
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| Artur Bakhtamyan and Mrs
Garabedian |
Bakhtamyan also met with Mrs Marie Ouzounian and Mrs Rozette
Ouzounian, who also were able to share their memories with
him.
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| Artur Bakhtamyan with
Mrs Marie Ouzounian and Mrs Rozette Ouzounian |
By
coincidence, Bakhtamyan was also able to meet with Mr Vartkess Nalbandian, who
resides in Ethiopia at present, and was visiting London for a few
days.
 |
| Artur Bakhtamyan and Mr
Nalbandian |
Mr
Vartkes Nalbandian is the son of Nerses Nalbandian, the nephew of Kevork
Nalbandian who was the leader of the Royal Orchestra, made up of 40 Armenian
orphans transferred from the Jerusalem Partriarchate. Nerses Nalbandian was the
founder of the Haile Selassie I Theatre Orchestra.
Mr Nalbandian agreed to assist Bakhtamyan in facilitating the filming
of Ethiopian documentary, by researching the requirements of a foreign crew,
filming in that country.
While in
London Bakhtamyan also had meetings with Toby Alington and Kate Miller of
Richmond
Studios, where the project and filming requirements were discussed in
detail, and the project was received very well and Richmond Studios were very
pleased to be part of both the filming and post
production.
In
October 2008, a meeting took place with Mr Vahak Karibian, a resident of Addis
Ababa, who was on a visit, to London.
 |
| Mr Vahak
Karibian |
The hours spent with Mr Karibian flew bye…. He was full of
information about the history of the Ethio-Armenian community, it's past and
present and from our conversations, it was clear to see that he's been a pillar
of the society for many many years, and will be an asset to this
project.
It's a comfort
to know he's on our team!
| Your Input and How You Can
Help |
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|
To ensure the documentary/film is factually correct, it is important
to gather as much information from Ethio-Armenians as
possible.
If you have
any interesting stories, photographs or documents, which you feel may be useful
in the research of this project, please feel free to forward them to us, via
e-mail, through this web site.
All material will be carefully studied and should more details be
required, we will contact you.
You can also help by making a contribution of any amount to the Film
Fund. All contributions are gratefully received, and will be acknowledged in
the credits.
You can make
your financial contribution, either by bank transfer, details of which you can
obtained, by contacting us through the web site, or you may wish to make your
contribution via any of the major credit cards. Just follow the link
below.
We thank you for
showing an interest in this project and hope once the film is made, you will
enjoy watching it.
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| Ethiopia Film Project
Team |
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