‘Map of Salvation’ Armenian Genocide docudrama to hit big screens in Armenia

“Map of Salvation”, an Armenian Genocide docudrama, is set to hit big screens in Yerevan, Armenia on 21 October. The movie was shot in 2014-2015.

“Map of Salvation” is a documentary about the humanist movement that emerged as a wave of protest and resistance during the Armenian Genocide. It follows the fate and stories of five missionary women – Maria Jakobsen (Denmark), Karen Jeppe (Denmark), Bodil Bjorn (Norway), Alma Johansson (Sweden) and Anna Hedvig Büll (Estonia) – who left their comfortable lives in Europe and devoted themselves selflessly to save thousands of Armenian women and children.

The documentary has been shot in nine countries: Sweden, Norway, Germany, Estonia, Lebanon, Turkey, Syria and Armenia, with the participation of 45 actors. It has been screened internationally in 31 states of 14 countries, with the last film screening held in Moscow, Russia.

The movie’s production was built solely on the basis of actual events, film producer Manvel Saribekyan told a news conference on Wednesday.

“The movie is also a payment of gratitude both to those women and to the other Armenian benefactors. It is full length feature documentary lasting 88-minutes and is understandable to the foreign audience,” he detailed, adding the film is told by Finnish historian Svante Lundgren.

According to Mr. Saribekyan, the film screening is aimed at raising awareness about the foreign humanitarian women among the Armenian society, noting it is the first part of the gratitude series program. “It will be our gratitude to the other countries. We do not need to prove anything. However, there is a need to publicize such stories,” he added.