''The Blue Book, Political Truth or Historical Fact'' is a 2009 documentary film by Gagik Karagheuzian about the

Armenian genocide denial Armenian genocide denial is the claim that the Ottoman Empire and its ruling party, the Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), did not commit genocide against its Armenian citizens during World War I—a crime documented in a large body o ...

Synopsis

In 2005 the

Turkish Grand National Assembly The Grand National Assembly of Turkey ( tr, ), usually referred to simply as the TBMM or Parliament ( tr, or ''Parlamento''), is the unicameral Turkish legislature. It is the sole body given the legislative prerogatives by the Turkish Const ...

(TGNA) sent a petition, signed by all its members, to the

British parliament The Parliament of the United Kingdom is the supreme legislative body of the United Kingdom, the Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories. It meets at the Palace of Westminster, London. It alone possesses legislative suprem ...

demanding an apology for the accusation that Turkey was guilty of genocide against the Armenians. The petition referred to the British parliamentary report, "

The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire The Blue Book, officially titled ''The Treatment of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire 1915-1916'', was an official report commissioned by the British Parliament and presented in 1916 by James Bryce, 1st Viscount Bryce, Viscount Bryce and Arnold J. T ...

1915-16", authored by

Viscount Bryce A viscount ( , for male) or viscountess (, for female) is a title used in certain European countries for a noble of varying status. In many countries a viscount, and its historical equivalents, was a non-hereditary, administrative or judicial ...

and Arnold J. Toynbee, better known as the Blue Book.

Ara Sarafian Ara Sarafian (Armenian: ) is a British historian of Armenian origin. He is the founding director of the Gomidas Institute in London, which sponsors and carries out research and publishes books on modern Armenian and regional studies. Early li ...

, a British Armenian historian, had republished an uncensored edition of the Blue Book five years earlier in 2000. Once he heard about this petition, he set out on a campaign to demonstrate the authenticity of the original work and to defend the integrity of his republication. This observational documentary follows Sarafian as he travels to the sites of massacres described in the eyewitness accounts which were used in the Blue Book. He confronts official Turkish historians at an academic symposium in Istanbul University. While there, he answers questions from Turkish journalists who were interested in his motivations. Later he takes part in a television debate discussing the validity of this almost hundred-year-old report. Throughout the debate, the official Turkish historian casts doubt on the authenticity of the Blue Book. However, during a break in the broadcast, while still being filmed for the documentary, he admits to Sarafian and the presenter of the program that the TGNA petition was a political exercise, it was academically weak and Sarafian's response was accurate.

Background

The filming of the documentary started in August 2005. In 2007 a version was released briefly for funding purposes. Following this there was some additional filming, and the film was completed in August 2009. In 2014, as part of the Armenian genocide centennial commemorations, a Blue Book app was developed, including additional footage.

Screenings

* 25 November 2014, SOAS & UCL Armenian Society Screening, SOAS WC1H 0XG * 25 September 2010, Egyptian Theatre * 28 May 2010, Oxford Armenian Society & Oxford Aegis Society, New College, University of Oxford * 5 March 2010, London School of Economics, Armenian Society, Hong Kong Theatre * 27 January 2010, Royal Holloway, University of London * 27 November 2009, Queen Mary College University London, Hitchcock Theatre * 29 October 2009, National Film and Television School Alumni, Warner Brothers, WC1X 8WB * 25 September 2008, Pomegranate Film Festival Toronto * 29 May 2008, Los Angeles, Laemmle's One Colorado * 4 November 2007, Riverside Studios London

Contributors

, Director of Gomidas Institute, archival historian * Lord Eric Avebury, founder of Parliamentary Human Rights Group *

Şükrü Elekdağ Mustafa Şükrü Elekdağ (; born 29 September 1924) is a Turkish diplomat, academician, and politician. He graduated from Galatasaray High School and received his undergraduate from Istanbul Higher Education School of Economics and Commerce, w ...

, member of Turkish Grand National Assembly (2002-2011) from the Republican people’s Party * Professor Justin McCarthy, professor of history at the University of Louisville * Dr. Professor Kemal Çiçek,

Turkish Historical Society The Turkish Historical Society ( tr, Türk Tarih Kurumu, TTK) is a research society studying the history of Turkey and the Turkish people, founded in 1931 by the initiative of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, with headquarters in Ankara, Turkey. It has been ...

* Temel Demirer, Turkish scholar, author, political activist * Fatih Altaylı, Turkish journalist, columnist, television presenter and media executive * Ragip Zarakolu, Turkish publisher and Vice Chair of Turkish Human Rights Association

References

Armenian Reporter

Oxford Aegis Society

Changing Turkey

h&f news

Azad Hye

Hamaink

External links

*
Gomidas Institute campaign

{{DEFAULTSORT:Blue Book 2009 films 2009 documentary films Documentary films about the Armenian genocide Armenian genocide denial