Turkish documentary screened in Paris

PARIS - Anatolia News Agency

Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç speaks before the screening of the documentary ‘The River Flowing Westward’ at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.AA photo

A documentary titled “Batıya Doğru Akan Nehir” (The River Flowing Westward), produced in collaboration with Bahçeşehir University Civilization Studies Center (MEDAM) and Turkish Radio Television (TRT), was screened on April 13 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris within the scope of a conference program. The documentary aims to draw the world’s attention to the role Mesopotamia has played in the development of civilization.

UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova said at the opening of the event that she believed that the documentary would contribute to intercultural dialogue. “Mutual understanding is more important than it was in the past and dialogue has become the most important factor to prevent disunion of people.” She said UNESCO attached great importance to dialogue between religions and cultures, and Turkey’s work in this field was appreciated.

Bahçeşehir University Board of Trustees President Enver Yücel said Anatolia had been home to lots of civilizations throughout history and they had left their traces on the land. He said universities should make contributions to fields like poverty, environment, ethical values and coexistence. He said the whole world should exclude expressions insulting other cultures and societies in order to improve coexistence culture.

Among the other participants at the screening were Deputy Prime Minister Bülent Arınç, MEDAM Founding President Professor Bekir Karlığa and UNESCO Honorary Ambassador Samuel Pisar.

History of Mesopotamia

“The River Flowing Westward,” which has been shown in many countries, features the history of the Mesopotamia region, which lies between the Middle East’s Tigris and Euphrates region and is often dubbed the cradle of civilization, over the past 12,000 years. Shooting for the documentary, which started two years ago, was conducted in 16 countries. Nearly 200 intellectuals, artists, scientists and politicians delved into Mesopotamia’s history for the project, while producers used the latest technology to bring the cities and the artwork of the past to life. The documentary is made up of 20 episodes, each of which is 45 minutes long, and has two versions, long and short. Last month a related photography exhibition was opened at Istanbul’s Atatürk Airport.