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.

Krzysztof Zanussi is a Polish film director and producer.

For 100 seconds project he reads an extract from Armenian Genocide survivor Misak Sedrakian's testimony.



National Archives of Armenia
Collection of Documents

Testimony of survivor Misak Sedrakian on the Massacre at the village of Prkhus in Khlat district of Bitlis province

August 8, 1916
Ashtarak

On Thursday morning firing started from all quarters. Soldiers broke in from all directions murdering the Armenians they came across.

They destroyed the hideouts and put those hiding there to the sword. At that time I was in a hideout together with my younger brother, my cousins and two neighbours. When they broke the door, my mother came horrified to our aid but soldiers murdered her before our eyes.

My brother immediately climbed up the ventilation hole in the roof. When I tried to do the same, soldiers hit me twice with a sword and wounded me. I fell down. One of them said:” This one is young, let’s not kill him.” They let me free and started plundering the house. I came out and saw my mother’s corpse on the threshold.

There were corpses all over the village. On the other side they were raping a young woman and forcibly abducting a girl. I ran away frightened and hid in a dry dung rick.

Producer: Ara Tadevosyan
Filming: Lena Gevorgyan, Mariam Loretsyan
Post Production: Tumo LLC

The source of Misak Sedrakian'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.