| Intent to Destroy | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Joe Berlinger |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Music by | Serj Tankian |
| Distributed by | Abramorama |
Intent to Destroy: Death, Denial, & Depiction is a 2017documentary film directed byJoe Berlinger about theArmenian genocide.
Berlinger embedded in the filming crew ofThe Promise to shootIntent to Destroy.[1] The film prominently features behind the scenes footage fromThe Promise, starringOscar Isaac andChristian Bale, while incorporating historical context for the feature film.[2]
According toThe Promise actorDaniel Giménez-Cacho, an ambassador in the Turkish foreign service had contacted him and told him the Turkish government's position that the killings in the Armenian genocide were not a genocide; his statements were featured inIntent to Destroy.[1]
Berlinger declined an invitation to travel to Ankara, Turkey to interview officials of the Turkish government. The interview request appeared after, according to him, he requested feedback from the Turkish government. Turkish officials did not say who he would meet, and had he gone, he would not have been allowed to bring his film crew nor any recording devices. Berlinger stated "I felt like it would be a useless trip and one that was potentially dangerous, frankly."[1]
Among the experts interviewed wereTaner Akçam,Fatma Müge Göçek, andVicken Cheterian. The film also interviewed Turkish officials who denied that an Armenian Genocide had occurred.[3]
Los Angeles Times described the film as a "masterful effort."[4] It earned a "Critic Score" of 92% onRotten Tomatoes.[5]
Frank Scheck ofThe Hollywood Reporter stated that it was "excellent and informative", though he argued that at times the film "plays like a special feature for the DVD edition ofThe Promise", an aspect he was critical of.[6]
HistorianRonald Grigor Suny compared the film favorably toThe Promise, stating, "Berlinger selects fromThe Promise precisely those scenes that show the horrors of 1915... Watching the crew paint the extras with simulated blood and the reaction of the lead actors to the scene (some of whom break down and sob) is oddly more evocative of the terrors of that time than that same scene" inThe Promise. He also praised the film for its use of varied source material and expressed that film may be a better medium for capturing the horrors of genocide than written text, stating, "What on the printed page can possibly match the panoramic view, shot from above by a camera mounted on a drone, of a column of desperate, bereft Armenians marching to their death?"[3]
After its theatrical run,Intent to Destroy was acquired byStarz for television.[7]Intent to Destroy was nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Historical Documentary at the 40thNews and Documentary Emmy Awards.[8]
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