After a century of denial by the Turkish government and backed by its allies (including the US), the Armenian Genocide remains a cloudy subject. To this day, surviving witnesses and descendants and a large portion of the international community find themselves struggling for it to be officially acknowledged and accepted as a tragedy executed during World War 1.
Academy Award nominated director Joe Berlinger loses himself on the film set of Terry George’s “The Promise” (starring Oscar Isaac and Christian Bale), to provide an uncensored exposition among horrid history that’s been tampered with since 1915. Historians, scholars, filmmakers, and other artists embrace the idea to come together for Berlinger and help expose one of the most complex topics to this very day.
Off the heels of the release for “The Promise,” “Intent to Destroy” sheds an emotional light on reality. A reality many find themselves quite offended when they come across Holocaust deniers, or deniers of the Cambodian Killing Fields, Bosnia, or Rwanda. Where atrocities came, and went like yesterday’s newspaper. The world refused to stay shut, but for reasons unknown to those it has most effected it remains mute. Deep, dark, and extremely emotional, “Intent to Destroy” is a thought-provoking piece that lingers one word as the film plays: Why? From back then till now, what really is the reason to slaughter others? Crossing every “T” and dotting every “I,” Armenians need their solidified space in history like everyone else. And even it comes at the cost of brave artists who aren’t afraid to talk about it.
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Grade: A / Genre: Documentary / Run Time: 1:45
Cast: John Marshall Evans, Eric Bogosian, Sarah Leah Whitson, Serj Tankian, Peter Balakian
Directed by: Joe Berlinger
TFF2017 Festival Screening Info: https://tribecafilm.com/filmguide/intent-to-destroy-2017
© 2017 Survival Pictures
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