Intent to Destroy (2017)
(On Cable TV, April 2021) As I’ve written before, everything I know about the Armenian genocide comes from Turkish interests trying to deny it, from Serdar Argic in the mid-1990s Usenet to the hubbub surrounding Ararat and The Promise to the latest efforts of the Turkish government to criticize the possibility of recognition from the American government. Intent to Destroy, from veteran documentary filmmaker Joe Berlinger, chronicles the shooting of The Promise and uses this as a springboard to discuss the Armenian genocide, and the increasingly desperate attempts from the Turkish government to deny that it happened. As a documentary, it really ties everything together, from a succinct description of the events, their magnitude and their legacy, to the reasons why the Turkish government has been so invested in denying it. The link between the Armenian Genocide and the Holocaust is stronger than you may think, and the film spends a few valuable minutes explaining how the Armenian genocide actually led to the definition of the legal notion of genocide. (Much of the Turkish justifications boil down to a legalistic argument that “yes, many Armenians were killed, but it wasn’t technically genocide,” which is a hilariously stupid justification.) Canadian director Atom Egoyan is interviewed, and proudly displays an entire book put together by the Turkish government to criticize Egoyan’s entire career in anticipation of Ararat’s release. One of the film’s most eloquent anecdotes comes late during the film, as a former American official describes the diplomatic fireworks when he recognized the Armenian genocide at an event, in contradiction to the American foreign policy meant to appease Turkey. That last segment means to conclude the film with the militant stance that the American government needs to recognize the Armenian genocide, and what do you know — on the day I write this review, shortly after seeing Intent to Destroy, here is Joe Biden formally recognizing the Armenian Genocide, marking a significant evolution of US policy. It took until 2004 for Canada to recognize the Armenian Genocide, but at least we did—and as Canada has its own genocidal history to consider, I’d like to reassure Turkish readers that ignoring your own history is not a demonstration of moral superiority—as often said, recognition is the first step toward justice.
