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.