In the documentary “Screamers,” there is no such thing as background music ““ the soundtrack is central to the film.
“A whole race, genocide / Taken away, watch them all fall down / Revolution, the only solution.”
These lyrics, delivered in lead singer Serj Tankian’s signature guttural scream, are from “P.L.U.C.K.,” one of heavy metal band System of a Down’s many politically charged songs.
“P.L.U.C.K.,” which deals specifically with the Armenian Genocide, is one of the band’s songs featured in “Screamers,” screening tonight at the James Bridges Theater. “Screamers” follows System of a Down, charting their concert tours and personal experiences as the issue of modern genocide and subsequent denial is explored. The film will be followed with a Q and A session with director Carla Garapedian.
The screening is co-sponsored by the Graduate Students Association’s Melnitz Movies and the Armenian Graduate Student Association. Raffi Kassabian, a third-year law student and executive officer of the Armenian Graduate Student Association, hopes to attract a large audience to the event.
“We’re targeting the entire campus community to make everyone realize that genocide is not just an Armenian issue but a humanitarian and universal issue,” he said.
Garapedian, who has a background making documentaries about human rights issues, decided to make “Screamers” after attending a System of a Down concert and discovering the band’s dedication to educating fans about not only the Armenian Genocide but about genocide in general.
“We say the words “˜never again,’ but it seems, over and over again, genocide keeps repeating itself,” Garapedian said.
“Screamers” addresses the genocides that occurred over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries, from the Holocaust to Rwanda to the ongoing conflict in Darfur. The Armenian Genocide is used to illustrate the disastrous effects denial can have on this cycle of future genocides and human rights issues.
While heavy metal music might seem an unlikely vehicle for such a serious message, Garapedian sees it as a perfect fit. In the past, films dealing with genocide have generally been accompanied by what Garapedian calls “sentimental, sickly sweet violin music, portraying people as victims.” Her attitude about how the subject should be approached is exactly the opposite.
“Obviously we feel sad that the people you see in this movie are victims … but I believe we should be feeling anger and outrage, not pity.”
This anger is conveyed through System of a Down’s heated, rapid songs and provocative lyrics.
“Heavy metal music is in your face. It makes you feel uncomfortable. It is screaming and shouting. It is dissonance in some ways,” she said.
“If there were four famous Armenian American (musicians) who were talking about genocide in the world, I would have been obliged to use whatever their style was. But thank God it was heavy metal.”
Though Garapedian’s decision to combine System of a Down’s music with pictures of genocide victims has been criticized as insensitive by some, she welcomes input from detractors.
“All art is about having a debate and a dialogue with the audience,” she said.
Those who attend tonight’s screening will have the opportunity to debate with Garapedian and ask questions following the film.
“We really want students to have the ability to tap into (Garapedian’s) experiences and to think on another level about the film and access information that maybe they wouldn’t have if they had just seen the film or rented the DVD,” said Ara Soghomonian, a fifth-year doctoral student in Near Eastern languages and cultures who is the project director for the event.
Ultimately, Garapedian hopes “Screamers” will encourage students ““ fans of heavy metal or not ““ to examine the history of genocide in the 20th century and realize their ability to effect change.
“The film doesn’t tell you what to do … but it identifies the pattern of hypocrisy in our foreign policy and the fact that genocide continues today. So if you walk out feeling angry or frustrated, or even if you walk out with the realization that there is in some way a repetition of behavior, then I’ve done what I set out to do,” she said.
Garapedian’s film closes out with the help of “Cigaro,” System of a Down’s blistering assault on power-hungry politicians, in which the band screams, “We’re the propagators of all genocide / Burning through the world’s resources, then we turn and hide / Cool, in denial.”
It’s an appropriate conclusion to the incendiary film.