Armenian Genocide: A week of remembrance

A member of the Canadian parliament and a filmmaker whose latest feature focuses on a musician searching for a family heirloom lost during the Armenian Genocide are just two highlights of the upcoming Week of Remembrance.

Each year, Glendale commemorates the Armenian Genocide of 1915 with a week of events in April. About 1.5 million Armenians were killed by the Ottoman Empire over the course of several years through massacres and death marches, which modern day Turkey has refused to acknowledge as genocide.

This year’s series of city events kicks off at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Alex Theatre with song and dance performances, as well as speeches by Canadian parliamentary member Jim Karygiannis and filmmaker Eric Nazarian.

“It’s going to be a very proper way to commemorate the genocide,” said Councilman Ara Najarian, who also publicly invited reality TV star Kim Kardashian after she mused about running for elected office in Glendale. No official word on whether she intends to attend.

The free ticketed event coincides with the worldwide commemoration of the genocide.

Tickets are being distributed at the Alex Theatre box office, the Americana at Brand concierge desk and Glendale Community College box office. For more information, visit www.alextheatre.org or call (818) 243-2539.

Earlier Tuesday, the Unified Young Armenians will organize a march through Little Armenia in Hollywood, with several bus pick-up locations throughout Glendale, Burbank and North Hollywood. For bus locations, visit www.youngarmenians.com or call (818) 971-5065.

The group also plans to host a candlelight vigil from 7 to 9 p.m. Monday in a parking lot near Glendale Civic Auditorium at the corner of Verdugo Road and Mountain Street. Community members, local politicians and clergy members are slated to attend.

The commemoration week will continue on Thursday with the city’s “Man’s Inhumanity to Man” event. While the evening typically features panel discussions and university experts, this year will feature a screening of short films submitted as part of the city’s first film competition.

The city received six entries and will award cash prizes of $100 to $300 to the top three.

The short films range in topics, including human trafficking, mass killings and the Armenian genocide. A Holocaust survivor is also scheduled to speak.

The free event is set for 6:30 p.m. at the Central Library Auditorium, 222 E. Harvard St. For more information call (818) 548-4844.

The Armenian National Committee Glendale chapter is also hosting a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on April 22 at St. Mary’s Armenian Apostolic Church, 500 S. Central Ave. For more information, call (818) 234-3444.