The movie will be based on American writer Micheline Aharonian Marcom’s novel.
The book Three Apples Fell From Heaven is set in the early 20th century, during the slaughter of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire. Turkish neighbors hid an Armenian girl after her parents are killed. The girl’s childhood is ruined. She has to look at the world through a Muslim veil, fearing for her life. The book is drawn on the experience of the writer’s grandmother who was lucky to survive the genocide.
Written in 2001, Micheline Aharonian Marcom’s novel was called among the best books of the year by The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times. The book is the first installment in the trilogy. The second part also focuses on a genocide survivor. The last book in the trilogy touches on political issues, severely criticising the role of the US in the Guatemalan Civil War in 1960-1996.
Aharonian Marcom’s book was adapted for the screen by Puerto Rican screenwriter José Rivera, who won an Academy Award for best adapted screenplay. The film will be directed by Oscar-winning Indian filmmaker Shekhar Kapur. He received an Oscar for his 1998 film Elizabeth about the Queen. Syrian-Armenian-American Sona Tatoyan, whose ancestors survived the genocide, will serve as a producer.
A video of casting auditions for the lead role in Kapur’s film will be shown at the Cannes Film Festival that takes place this week. The participants were Armenian girls from Syria who fled the war-hit country to Armenia.
The Armenian genocide in the Ottoman Empire took place in 1915-1923. It was the first genocide in the 20th century. Turkey and Azerbaijan deny it and show a negative reaction to criticism by western governments and human rights groups on the issue. Activists hold campaigns to officially recognise those events as genocide.
The issue is actively raised in films 100 years after the tragic events. The world premiere of Terry George’s film The Promise about the genocide took place on March 21. The movie was acclaimed and supported by world celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Barbara Streisand, Elton John, Sylvester Stallone, Cher and George Clooney.
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