Written by Fantasma el Rey

Screamers are those who stand up and alert others to what is going on around them, they are the one’s that shout “there is something wrong and we have to act.” Carla Garapedian does exactly that with her documentary Screamers about genocide in the last hundred years. Garapedian’s film follows rock band System Of A Down as they tour and raise awareness regarding the first genocide of the twentieth century. The horrors that the Armenians faced at the hands of the Ottoman Empire deeply concerns the band and their own families. The band and the film scream for justice not just for the crimes against their people but for all those that fall victim to such unbelievable acts, from Rwanda to Kosovo and from the Armenians to the many Jewish that suffered the same fate.

System Of A Down has talked and sung about the Armenian tragedy since their beginning, bringing it out in their distinct sound. They draw inspiration from their culture and heritage; it’s evident in guitarist Daron Malakian’s playing style and Serj Tankian’s colorful vocals, also emerging in the way the guys put songs together and what they have to say. System’s music, which includes the songs “Spiders,” “P.L.U.C.K.,” and “Cigaro,” appear throughout the movie and we get to see some good performances as well.

Although the film spotlights System Of A Down, it goes beyond them and their music to tell the horrific tales of torture that people around the world have had to face and were fortunate enough to live through. Because bigger than the music are the personal stories, we hear Serj’s grandfather tell his story of extreme hardship as he and his family where driven from their Anatolian homeland. Serj and drummer John Dolmayan are also shown at rallies for the Armenian genocide. and caught on film is Serj’s brief meeting with house speaker Dennis Hastert, who pretty much gives Serj the brush off. As always, Serj keeps his cool and shows just how much of a class act he truly is.

Firsthand accounts fill this movie, making the tales hit even harder as we can see the look of pain in these people’s faces. Not simply focusing on Armenians, Garapedian finds screamers all over the world from Darfur, Sarajevo, Bosnia, and Korea. She even has interviews with government whistle-blowers who help point out reasons why the White House will over look genocide in certain situations. Journalist Hrant Dink, who was eventually gunned down in front of his own home, was interviewed in Istanbul about his articles being against the Turkish government and for the acknowledgment of the Armenian genocide, which the Turks have yet to officially recognize.