Simon Abkarian: Armenians must live on, but never forget past injustice

French-Armenian actor and director Simon Abkarian says Armenians must continue to live their lives while never forgetting the injustice inflicted upon their nation.

Speaking to journalists in Yerevan on Tuesday, Abkarian reflected on the balance between remembrance and moving forward.

“We must live, but never forget that we carry a drama, an injustice committed against our nation. Yet despite that, we must live on,” he said.

"It's not about turning that chapter. That is not what we are saying. But we must live," the actor added.

Abkarian, who played the lead role in Aram, described the project as deeply personal, likening it to a form of ritual.

“For me, the film was something like a ritual,” he said.

Recalling a screening in France, Abkarian described how the audience responded with prolonged applause at the end of the film. One French viewer questioned the reaction, asking why people were clapping when the story involved one man killing another.

“I took him aside and explained that we were not applauding because a man had been killed,” Abkarian said. “We were applauding because that people had massacred us.”