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 The film shooting part of “Tattoos of grandma” documentary by publicist and director Suzan Khartalyan from Sweden are now completed. The film is about the “embossed” fates of thousands of Armenian women in the times of Armenian Genocide.
Suzan Khartalyan was the first person to shoot in 1988 a documentary titled “Return to Ararat” covering the story of Armenian Genocide. Today shooting another film the director puts important questions and facts which have never been touched.

“The topic of Genocide is like a red line existing in my life and in my work,” Suzan said in an interview with “Ermenihaber.am”.
Read the first part of the interview below:

- How did you have the idea to tell about the fates of Armenian women who survived genocide?

-After the Ruanda Genocide and Darfur, media outlets have begun widely covering stories of raped women. Studies have been held, which revealed that raping women were a part of military strategies during genocide. Hence, they weren’t only annihilating the rivals physically but they were destroying their genetics.

-And did that strategy being applied during the Armenian Genocide?

- Yes, I found out that this same strategy was being used during the Armenian Genocide. During the genocide Armenian women who were just targets have been raped, raptured and used. If men were killed, hundred thousands of women knew they were living but living dead.

- How did you unveil this mystery?

- During my studies, I’ve found some strange photos of Armenian women and girls in the archives of National League. They were photos of young women who had tattoos. Every case has an attached document about the story of a girl – name, family, when they were raptured, how long they lived in slavery, etc.

- How old were those girls and women?

- I was really shocked when I saw those documents, because some were aged 8-12. But I was deeply shocked when I saw my grandma’s photo there, who had tattoos all over her hands and face.

- So was your grandma also “embossed”?

- Yes, I didn’t love my grandma. She wasn’t like other grannies, she didn’t like physical contact, she didn’t like hugs and kisses. We were afraid of her, and her tattoos. I didn’t understand what signs they were. But then I’ve found out it when I saw the photos of those girls.

-Why were those tattoos?

- Many Armenian women were kidnapped by Kurds and Arabs. Many were robbed by Turks. In those days Armenian women and children were all abandoned in streets, and anybody could take them. How many do you want, who do you want? They could take them. Then they were sold, I hear some stories that depending on woman’s age and how much she was “used” the price differed. This was like a business. Tattoos were made to show that the woman belonged to this or that tribe.

- Thus each tribe had its tattoo?

-Yes, each tribe had its own tattoo. Tattoos were signs of property. My studies brought me to Frezno. There I found a group of women who were called “Blue lips”.