Damarjian Version 2

1. The tip of a blacksmith’s chisel cuts away at the ornate leaf of a giant bronze gate. The Blacksmith meticulously studies the groove of the cut and with a rag meticulously polishes away any imperfections. Behind him his grandson plays with a small toy airplane. He dances around the room holding the airplane high in the air. As he plays he passes a photograph of the blacksmith and his family. His play is disrupted by creaking of the shop door as it opens. A large nicely dressed man enters and with his hands tucked into his suspenders greats the blacksmith. “Hello Medz Baba Garabed!” the black smith finishes a few more precise cuts with his chisel. He then blows off the last off the bronze dust and makes his way to a table in the corner. He brings the customer a box with an ornamental door handle. The customer studies the handle for a few moments and with a large smile bellows out “Ha ha, as always marvelous work!” I don’t think there is finer Blacksmith in the entire world”. The customer reaches in his pocket and hands him a few paper bills and a handful of coins. The Blacksmith studies the bills intently but his gaze is broken by the sound of gun fire.
2. The Blacksmith rushes to the window and looks out. He notices hoards of town people rushing down the street. He quickly shoves the bills in his pocket. The door of the shop bangs open and there is an even louder ring of the bell of the door. A thin man crouches in the door way gasping for air. The thin man scans the room and fixes his eyes on the Blacksmiths grandson. “you and your grandson must hide, they are coming!”. The Blacksmith quickly grabs the hand of his grandson and rushes to hide behind a large bookcase in the corner. He then finds a thick, worn torn wool blanket and pulls it over their heads.
3. They watch intently through one of the tears of the blanket as a man dressed in a Turkish soldiers uniform enters the shop. The thin and overweight customers uniformly back away from the solider. The solider raises his pistol and with a smile he moves his pistol between them. The men begin to plead. The solider fires several shots into both men killing them instantly. The solider makes his way through the shop up to the book case. He scans the books pulling them out one by one flipping through them and tossing them on the floor. Under the blanket the grandson’s eyes welt up in tears and out of fear his entire body can’t help but shake. The grandson lets out a loud whimper. Hearing this the Turkish soldier grabs the corner of the book case pulling it forward he brings it crashing to the ground. He then kicks the mass under the blanket. This drives them out from under the blanket and against the wall. The solider then points his revolver at the blacksmith. The grandson leaps on top of his grandfather. With tears in his eyes he glares at the solider. The Turkish Solider steadies his pistol then with a look of disappointment drops it to his side. He waves for them to stand up.
4. Outside of the shop a line of weeping towns people stand in line. The sound of gun fire , explosions and screaming fills the air. One of the solider grabs the hair of one woman and drags her into an alley. The blacksmith carry’s his grandson against his chest as they exit the shop. They are followed by the solider pointing his revolver at the Blacksmith back. With his free hand the solider shoves the grandfather into line. While in line they make their way in front of a general store. The boy eyes are fixed on a bicycle in the window. He looks up at his grandfather. Who gives a faint smile and a nod.
5. Out of the retail shop’s door a solider comes dashing out. He nods to the other soldiers who begin to run as well. The towns people in line look around in confusion as the shop explodes. This sends the towns people flying in various directions. The Blacksmith comes crashing down on his back. His grandson flies out of his arms and tumbles into the street. The grandson disoriented can’t help but stare at his grandfather who’s groans of agony. This draws the attention of some of the fleeing soldiers. One solider stops and makes his way back stepping over the grandson. He takes a moment to look down at the grandfather who lets out a groan of agony. He then fires three shots into his chest. Seeing this the young boy lies motionless. The solider turns and looks down at the grandson. With the tip of his gun he shakes the young boy. Seeing no movement he moves on down the road.
6. The young boy looks back at the solider who moves away. When the solider is a safe distance away tears begin to pour out of his face. The young boy cries out in agony as he reaches for his grandfather’s hand. In the distance the sound of stampeding horses draw near. The boy quickly closes his eyes and lies motionless. The horse and buggy comes to an abrupt stop next to the boy his grandfather and the other bodies in the street. The horses let out loud snort as an overweight solider slowly steps down from the wagon. He walks over to the young boy and tosses him on top of a mountain of bodies. He then tosses his grandfather on top of him.
7. As the horse and buggy races down the road it shakes sporadically. This shakes and tosses the bodies around the back of the cart. As the Blacksmiths body shakes, the motion pushes the money out of his pocket on to the grandson’s chest. Feeling this the grandson opens his eyes and stares at the money. His eye shift back and forth between the solider who is driving the cart and the money. He slowly grips the money in his hand causing it to make a crinkling sound. The solider hears this and in one swoop pulls the horse to a stop as he draws his pistol. With a look of horror he aims his pistol at the young boy. Noticing that it just a little boy his expression changes to a wicked smile.
8. With his gun pointed in the air the solider circles the cart. With his free hand he reaches into the pile of bodies and finds the young boys foot. With his leg in the solder’s meaty hand he turns and drags him from the cart. This causes the child’s head to smack against the door of the cart and then ground. The solider continues to drag him through the street towards a group of crying towns’ people. In front of the town’s people stands a firing squad rifles pointed and ready to fire. As the young boy is dragged through the rubble he hears the sound rifle shots. The cries of the town people are abruptly stopped. The firing squad stares at the boy as he is dragged closer to their position. With glaring eyes they reload their weapons. The young boy manages to grab a stone and toss it at the back of the solider. It does little but hit the back of his jailer and bounce off. The firing squad parts forming a tunnel as the boy is dragged between them. They look down at the boy laughing and spitting. The young boy is dragged over the body of a dead women. The solider and the young boy make their way around the corner of the general store. The same general store he and his grandfather had been at only moments earlier. The solider tosses his leg aside and continues to walk forward.
9. The boy catches his breath and sits up. The dust around him clears revealing the solider is walking towards a large Orthodox church. When the solider reaches the church he raps his pistol on the door. The door of the church opens slowly and the head of a Franciscan Monk slowly pokes out. The monk and the solider exchange a few words then monks close the door and disappear. Several minutes pass with almost no movement from the solider and his pistol which is fixed on the boy. The door finally opens and two monks exit the church with a fist full of money. The solider doubles back and as he passes the boy he kicks dirt on him. The two monks quickly exit the church and dart towards the boy. They grab him and lift him to his feet. He is then hurried into the doors of the church which are slammed behind him. A
10. As the boys follows the monks through the church the young boys eyes study the ornate icons of the church. As he continues through the church he passes under a giant statue of the Virgin Marry. For a moment it seems as they lock eyes. The monks grab the back of his shirt and move him into a room. They make a sign with their hand for food and sit him at a large table. He feel alone for a moment he is then startled by a rustling in the corner. He looks over and notices the faces of several other small children who sit and stare at him. He looks down at his hand and notices that he is still gripping the money. The candle in the room goes out leaving us in darkness.
11. The total darkness of a bedroom is interrupted by the light shape of an open door. It reveals a cabinet and a bed with a very plain bed spread. An old man walks into the bedroom followed by a young boy. The old man then opens one of the doors of the cabinet and he reaches in. He turns to the boy with his fist clenched. Its hard to make out what is in the hand of the old man. His closed fist obscures it whatever it is he pulls from the drawer. He then signals to the young boy to sit. The old man opens the young boys hand and places a few dollar bills and coins. He then closes the young boys hand tightly. With a big smile the tells the boy “Never let go.” The young boy then gripping the money walks to an open window looking out to a busy New York street with several Ford Model T’s.

Damarjian

I decided to make a few short animated films about my families history. I decided to start with my fathers side. The concept of the series of films is about family
myths; and how the stories based on these myths shape family beliefs and actions.

Outline of the Story Structure 8 point Arc

1. Garabed Damarjian sits at a warn, brown table in a little house on the southwest side of Chicago. His wife brings him a cup of tea. Directly in front of him sit his son Tony Damarjian. Tony places a photograph in front of his father. He then asks him if he can record his father telling the story behind the photograph. As Garabed beings to speak and give the names of the people in the photograph everything and everyone in the room becomes black and white. The room and everyone accept Garabed begins to melts away into a blinding light. The blinding lights fades revealing Garabed standing alone in front of a giant, stone Orthodox Church. The church is surrounded by small homes and shops in the town of Kharpert Armenia. It is silent and the town seems abandoned. He looks down at his clothing he is dressed in the traditional outfits typically worn by Armenians in 1905. He also now adorns a thick mustache. He has taken on the form of his great grandfather Hannah from the photograph. It is silent and the town seems abandoned.
2. The town’s silence is interrupted by a loud church bell. The doors swing open and along with other church goers the Damarjian family comes spilling out of the church. One of the children, Norma yells out “Hi Medz Baba Garabed”. Norma grips Garabed’s arm and gives him a kiss on the cheek. As Norma pulls him along she looks back at her father Hannah who walks a few paces behind them carrying her little brother. She flashes him an exhausted look. Hannah a well dressed man in a three piece suit and pocket watch, returns her glare with a look of disappointment. In a whiny voice Norma begs her father to reschedule the family photo. He shakes his head dismissing her question. They arrive at the photo studio which is a few short paces away from the church. The photographer thanks them for coming and asks them to stand in position. Exhausted from a long day at church the family gets into position to take the photograph. Garabed sits and grabs the hand of a small child of about two or three years of age. The child is his grandson and also goes by the name of Garabed. Garabed directs the child to his left. The picture is taken and there is another blinding light from the flash of the photographer’s camera.
3. As the flash of the camera light fades Garabed is revealed again sitting on a bench in the same position as the old man he had just envisioned. Directly in front of him on the wall stands a giant reprint of the photograph taken in 1905. Wafah his wife comes over and sits next to him and exclaims “we have to go see your daughter in Long Island. I think we have spent enough time here.” Garabed responds “You know it is bad luck for our family if we don’t visit the picture and say a prayer for my ancestors. You know I was named after my Grandfather Garabed and he after his grandfather. I still have the coins he took from his father’s coat and they still bring me great luck.” Garabed reaches in his coat pulling out a plastic bag with foreign currency. The bag gives off a blinding glow and dissolves everything around them .
4. The glow fades to reveal Grandfather Garabed walking hand in hand with his grandson Garabed JR. Seven years have passed since the photograph was taken. Garabed tugs at his grandfather’s hand and points to a bicycle in the window of a general store. Garabed senior leads his grandson close to the window to take a closer look. Suddenly the store explodes and bursts into flames. The town is over run by Ottoman Turkish Soldiers. The fire aimlessly massacring men ,women and children. Garabed senior lye's still as a solider walks over and palces is his foot on his chest. Garabed senior groans and places his hand on the boot of the solider. The solider lifts his boot off of Garabed Seniors chest and fires three shots in to Garabed Seniors torso. Garabed JR sees this ,frightened he closes his eyes with the hopes that the solider thinks he is dead. The solider steps over to the boy and squats next to him to take a closer look. He shakes Garabed JR with the tip of his pistol. Seeing no movement he doubles back stepping over the grandfather and continues down the road. Garabed JR feeling a moment of safety begins to weep and gasps for air. The loud roar of a horse and buggy startles him and forces him to silence his breathing and resumes to play dead. A horse and buggy driven by an Ottoman soldier pulls up next to them. The soldier leaps from the buggy and painstakingly tosses Garabed Junior followed by his grandfather on to a pile of bodies on the back of the buggy.
5. Garabed continues to play dead until a few coins and bills fall out of his grandfather’s coat and land onto his chest. Garabed JR opens his eyes and looks up at the solider. His eyes shift back and forth between the money and the solider. He hesitates then grabs the money. The coins and paper currency makes a faint crinkling sound. The Ottoman solider hears this and is instantly Alarmed. In one quick motion the soldiers pulls his pistol from his holster and points places the tip within inches of Garabed Jr face. For a moment the solider has a look of relief and then it quickly turns to a wicked a smile. Garabed looks up at the solider in horror.
6. The solider quickly stops the horse and buggy and leaps out. He grips the legs of Garabed Jr and drags him onto the street. With his pistol pointed in the air the solider continues to drag Garabed JR towards a group of Ottoman soldiers. The group is standing side by side in a row forming a wall. Directly in front of them a group of weeping women and men beg for their lives. The soldiers raise their rifles in one united movement and point them towards the group of unarmed people. Seeing this Garabed Jr kicks and screams but to no avail he is continuously pulled closer to the firing squad. When he reaches only yards away the fireing squad opens fire killing everyone in front of them. Garabed Jr watches in horror as he sees as the blood splatter and the bodies of the civilians collapse in masses. The firing squad parts way allowing the solider pulling Garabed JR through. The fireing squad all turn to face Garabed JR and his keeper. As he is pulled past them they spit, taunt ,and laugh at Garbed Jr. Garabed JR eyes constantly searches around him but all he can see is clouds of dust. For a moment the dust clears and he catches a glimpse of the destroyed store he and his Grandfather f were just at moments earlier. The bicycle lies mangled in the street.
7. The solider drags the boy directly into the bicycle and then around the corner of the destroyed shop. Once passed the shop he releases the boys leg in a tossing motion causing his heel to smack against the ground. In agony and with tears in his eyes Garabed he sits up quickly and scans his surroundings. He is looking for any direction to flee but he is surrounded by a cloud of dust and the sounds of screams and gun fire. For a moment the gun fire and screams stop and the dust around him begins to clear. Garabed Jr can vaguely make out the silhouette of the solider making his way towards the giant, Orthodox church.
8. The dust completely settles and the doors of the church open silently. Cautiously out of the doors of the church a Franciscan Monk appears. He is holding a fistful of money. The monk and the solider talk for what seems like ages. Finally the monk points towards Garabed JR and hands the Turkish solider the money. The Solider snatches it from his hand and quickly walks towards Garabed JR. As he passes Garabed JR he kicks dirt in his face. Seeing this the monk walks over to Garabed lifts him to his feet. He leads Garabed JR towards the church. Garabed Jr looks down at his hands and notices he is still gripping the money from his grandfather’s pocket. They both enter the church and the door closes behind them.