On Monday the 8th of May, 2023, Haigazian University screened the documentary movie “The Forgotten Homeland”, in the presence of the movie director Essam Nagy and its executive coordinator Dr. Armen Mazloumian, who came specifically from Egypt for this event.
The 73-minute documentary, produced by First Tree Art Production and released on July 2022 in Armenia, demonstrates the after effects of the 2020 Artsakh war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, whereby 5000 Armenian soldiers died and tens of thousands of civilians and their families fled from their homes to the safety of Syunik, the southern province of Armenia. In the town of Goris, Nagy has conducted many interviews with refugees, mostly women of various ages, who were recounting the tragedy and misery of losing their husbands and sons.
For an Egyptian Director, it is worth noting that Essam Nagy’s interest and passionate attraction to Armenia goes back to age 16, when he was befriended by an Armenian survivor of the Genocide who was operating a camera shop in Cairo. Ever since this encounter, his interest in Armenia has dominated his entire adult life and finally brought him to Syunik to report on the Artsakh-Azarbeijan war. “I am Egyptian by nationality, but an Armenian by choice” was his statement during the first screening of his movie in Armenia in 2022.
“Today, through a documentary we will be able to highlight an aftermath of a new page in an ongoing injustice from the year 2020, a renewed tragedy, which made every Armenian person in the world a soldier for a cause, a fighter for a sacred land, which is the land of Artsakh’, said Student Life Director at Haigazian University, Razmig Kaprielian in his opening speech.
“Our role and responsibility as humans is to continue educating our youth to be just in their decisions, to be fair regarding the rights of other human beings and most importantly to be conscious and devoted to their own history’, he further noted.
For his part, Executive Coordinator of the movie, Dr. Armen Mazloumian put particular emphasis on the critical importance of the Southern part of Armenia, namely the Syunik region. “Syunik is a sensitive area and of significant geopolitical importance in the south of Caucasus and its future is likely to be closely linked to the broader regional dynamics and geopolitical interests of the countries in the region for several reasons, namely its strategic location, cultural heritage and natural resources”, Mazloumian noted.
Haigazian University President, Rev. Dr. Paul Haidostian then offered his brief insightful remarks, calling upon everyone to make his/her voice heard, in whatever way possible, regarding the rights of Artsakh and its ongoing crisis.
Haidostian then presented Mr. Essam Nagy a token of appreciation on behalf of HU, for his Artsakh advocacy through “The Forgotten Homeland”.
The event concluded with a rich and engaging Q & A session.
Mira Yardemian
Public Relations Director