Thursday, April 4, 2013

Kay's Voice

Author, teacher, historian, and yoga expert Dr. Kay Mouradian is one of those people you like to be around--a lot of positive energy, a healthy sense of self. She's previously been a guest author here on PDP.

Now Kay is a film producer, too. She and director Mark Friedman have created My Mother's Voice, a documentary based on Kay's book. I've been eager to see the film ever since I knew Kay was involved in the project.

The book, A Gift in the Sunlight, is a novel based on her mother's experience of the Armenian Genocide, when a million or more Turkish Armenians were expelled from their homes by the Ottoman government. (Wikipedia labels it as "deportation, mass murder.") Young Flora and her sister were the only members of their once-thriving family to survive. Flora eventually made her way to America to marry a man she had only seen in a photograph, Kay's father.

From the looks of the flyer, we'll have an opportunity to learn about these events that many Americans know little about.

6pm, April 7th, Free
at the AGBU Vatche and Tamar Manoukian Center, 2495 E. Washington Blvd at Altadena Drive across from Victory Park. (The entrance on Washington is pictured.)


From Kay's website: "Flora’s voice is that of all the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide, a story that must not be forgotten. 'I am my mother’s voice,' says Dr. Mouradian, 'and this is her story.'"

12 comments:

Petrea Burchard said...

I know this looks weird, but in the next smaller size the flyer wasn't readable.

dive said...

The Turkish government is still shamefully trying to pretend it never happened, so it's good to see people standing up to remind us. We'll never learn from the past if such things are suppressed. Many thanks to Kay, and to you, Petrea.

Kay M said...

Thanks Patrea for posting this. I think it is going to be a very interesting event on Sunday eve.

Hope some of your readers will be able to attend!

Petrea Burchard said...

I think so, too.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Have any of us seen this film? is it on youtube? I may have seen it there.

Ditto on what Dive said.

Petrea Burchard said...

The trailer is on Youtube, and I've seen that, but I haven't seen the film.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kad0VzWzxgA

Ms M said...

Looks like an amazing story. One that should be told; not forgotten. If only we humans could learn from our past....

Petrea Burchard said...

It's a very touchy subject with the Turkish government, Ms M, but I'd like to know how the Turkish people feel about it. I don't think every government necessarily represents its people.

Anonymous said...

I saw the entire film -- it's a short -- and it's very good. I recommend it.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, Pamela, an excellent recommendation.

Dina said...

I really wish I could go to this and learn more.
You always see posters about the genocide glued to the walls in Jerusalem's Armenian Quarter. Every year some Knesset members try to get the government to recognize the genocide, but still Israel must be careful with Turkey.
Hope you will tell us how the evening went, Petrea.

Petrea Burchard said...

"History is written by the victors," they say, and apparently their allies as well.

I know what you mean, Dina. Is the US not in this position, too? It's strange how history changes as power changes hands. What's true is not necessarily what's real.