My Family Sahakyan: The Samatya Sahakyan Choir

Director: Erdil Onur Kocatürk
Turkey, 2021, 55’
Turkish with English subtitles

My Family Sahakyan: The Samatya Sahakyan Choir Documentary, a feature length documentary film, is about the Samatya Surp Kevork Church Sahakyan Tıbrastas Choir, which was founded in 1703 and is the oldest church choir in Turkey. In the documentary, the cultural and artistic background and the current status of the Sahakyan Choir are conveyed to the audience through the stories of the choir members and their ancestors. In this context, the importance of Samatya, one of the oldest districts of Istanbul, for Istanbul and for the Anatolian Armenians in the history and the present is also examined. This documentary discusses the importance of church choirs to the Armenian community, the cultural and social functions of choirs, the place of church choirs in Armenian music, the repertoire of the Sahakyan Choir, and other topics. Choir members, musicologists, and religious representatives share their views on these topics with the audience based on their own experiences. The members of the choir, consisting of all amateur musicians, are aware of the importance of the Sahakyan Choir for the identity, culture and music of Armenian and share with us the choir work and the results they have achieved with great dedication. In the documentary, we follow the choir's process towards the 2020 New Year's Concert step by step from the first rehearsals. We share their excitement. Now it is time to share this excitement with the audience all over Turkey and the world community. The story of the Sahakyan choir will meet its audience all over the world.