Directors Slam Russell Crowe’s ‘Water Diviner’ Over Armenian Genocide Denial

Garin Hovannisian and Alec Mouhibian, co-directors of “1915 The Movie,” below present an open letter to Warner Bros., regarding the film “The Water Diviner.” On the April 24, 2015, the authors will mark the anniversary of the 1915 Armenian genocide along with tens of thousands of Armenians in a march from Hollywood Blvd. to the Turkish consulate to protest the country’s ongoing denial of the tragedy. Similar events will be held in New York and other major cities across the globe. The filmmakers will then travel to Armenia to screen “1915” for the Armenian government and their Armenian Genocide Centennial Committee.

Dear Warner Bros:

On April 24, 2015, your studio is set to release Russell Crowe‘s directorial debut “The Water Diviner” — a historical drama about an Australian father who travels to Gallipoli, Turkey, in search of his dead sons, who were among the Australian troops that landed there in 1915. He discovers, among other things, that the Turks were never really his enemies. In fact they were the noble victims who ultimately triumphed against the imperial West in World War I.

The problem is that April 24, 2015, also happens to be the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, which was perpetrated by the very Turkish government whitewashed by “The Water Diviner.” It was on April 24, 1915 — the night before the Gallipoli landing — that the Young Turk regime set into motion its unprecedented plan: the efficient deportation and slaughter of 1.5 million Armenians and the destruction of their homeland of thousands of years.

Read complete letter here: http://www.thewrap.com/directors-slam-russell-crowes-water-diviner-over-armenian-genocide-denial-guest-blog/

System of a Down performs Sardarabad at the Forum in Inglewood, CA

The Battle of Sardarabad was a battle of the Caucasus Campaign of World War I that took place near Sardarabad (modern-day Armavir), Armenia from May 21–29, 1918. Sardarabad was only 40 kilometers west of the city of Yerevan. The battle is currently seen as not only stopping the Ottoman advance into the rest of Armenia but also preventing the complete destruction of the Armenian nation.

Learn more about the Battle of Sardarabad: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Sardarabad

Watch System of a Down perform Sardarabad at the Forum in Inglewood, CA on 4/6/2015  (Wake Up The Souls Tour)

Armenians and Romans Unite in Little Armenia

Well, sort of. As you traverse the streets of Little Armenia in Hollywood, you’ll come across many establishments serving popular Armenian dishes. One of the most popular foods is lahmajune, also known as Armenian pizza. A great place to try this baked goodness is at Sasoun Bakery on Santa Monica Boulevard and Normandie Avenue.

About a year ago, just a few blocks up the same street at Santa Monica and Alexandria Avenue, an authentic Italian (Napoletana, to be exact) pizzeria, DeSano Pizza, opened shop. Our recent visit really impressed us. From the outside, you’d hardly know it was a pizza joint. When you walk in, however, you see this simple industrial layout that reveals all the inner workings of a modern pizzeria; an open floor plan that let’s you see the pizza dough being made, the imported ingredients sitting against the perimeters of the seating area, and pizzaioli preparing the pies right after you order.

They have four large brick wood-burning ovens individually named after cities in Italy along with the patron saints that watch over those cities.

DeSano pizza ovens 2

We ordered two pies, the margherita and the desano. They were both really tasty, with a soft chewy crust, fresh toppings, and the flavors of the burn marks on the bottoms of the pizza. Yumm.

Margherita Pizza
DeSano pizza

Now that we’ve found Armenian pizza and Italian pizza within a few blocks of each other, our weekends will consist of eating lahmajune for lunch and strolling over for some wood baked pizzas for dinner. The empires have finally united!