Mediamax presents 100 Seconds project devoted to Armenian Genocide Centennial.

The project is based on testimonies of Genocide survivors published by the National Archive of Armenia. People having public influence around the world and in their countries (writers, musicians, directors, actors) are reading 100 seconds extracts from testimonies.

Sally Day is a British actress. Since 2001, she has been a theater and movie actress and has appeared in TV performances.

In 2004, she played Marylyn Monroe (lead) in “Missing Marylyn” performance. “The best reason for seeing the play is Sally Day's performance,” wrote The Guardian.

For 100 seconds project Sally Day reads an extract from Armenian Genocide survivor Mariam Ghazarian’s testimony.

National Archives of Armenia

Collection of Documents

Testimony of survivor Mariam Ghazarian on the Massacre at the village of Soran in Aghbak district of Hakyari  province

[1916]

One night suddenly there was a knock at our door. I got up and asked who it was. They said: “Girl, open the door!” Frightened, I didn’t open the door. Before I could tell my mother, they broke the door and burst into the room.

Pulling my mother by her plaits and another woman named Nuno, who had been blind for 10 years, they dragged them out on the ground smashing their faces and saying: “Take out your gold or we will kill you!”.

My unfortunate mother fell down begging: “Don’t kill me, I’ll show you the gold.” Whereas the gold had already been removed in the autumn. In that way my mother was trying to save her life for us. But all her entreaties and wailing were in vain. Five pistols suddenly fired at my mother’s head. Her body collapsed on the ground.

They pulled her by the feet to the edge of the village. There were lots of high rocks there. They threw her down the rocks. As for the blind woman, they had taken out with my mother, they put her alive into the hollow of some rock and piled rocks over her. The poor woman’s painful moans were heard for two days.

Producer: Ara Tadevosyan

Filming: Jamie Harding

Post Production: Tumo Design

The source of Mariam Ghazaryan’s testimony: National Archives of Armenia, Armenian Genocide by Ottoman Turkey, 1915, Testimony of survivors, Collection of documents, Yerevan-2013.

VivaCell-MTS is the general partner of 100 seconds project.