Documentary filmmaker Antoine Makdis from the Syrian city of Aleppo shares the tragic stories of Armenians who were left refugees by the genocide of 1915. Antoine’s ancestors, who were ethnic Assyrians, also fled to Syria.
A century ago, Aleppo welcomed the largest number of Armenians fleeing the brutality of the Ottoman Empire – 60,000 people. Overall, Syria accepted about 140,000 Armenians, along with thousands of Assyrians and others escaping the slaughter. Approximately one and a half million Armenians were killed as a result of the genocide, but the exact number of victims remains unknown, as many went missing.
Today, both the Armenian and Assyrian peoples share a common history and a lingering fear: are they destined to become refugees again? «Perhaps this fear is the most significant thing we inherited from our parents,» says Antoine as he continues his search for pieces of this puzzle.
