I’ll Never Forget this Happiness, which was Promising Eternity on Paradis Street: In the Wake of “Mother” and “The Paradis Street 588”

“Let everybody know, nations do not die,” this was the call of Benedict XV to those deciding destiny of a whole nation through the sword.

An extract from Henri Verneuil’s “Mayrig” (“Mother”) movie

I’m on Paradis Street (Rue Paradis) of Marseille, where childhood and adulthood of prominent French-Armenian film director Henri Verneuil has passed, after escaping from Western Armenia with his family. Perhaps, the greater part of the developments of his two most popular—“Mayrig” (“Mother”) and “The Paradis Street 588” (“588 Rue Paradis”)—movies is description of the story of the life of the film director on this very street. These are biography movies shot in 1991 and 1992, which are about the Armenian Genocide, in which Henri Verneuil presents story of an Armenian family, which migrated to France.

Old port of Marseille (Vieux-Port de Marseille) today and in the movie. Here was the meeting of the Malakian family with France

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He shoots “Mayrig” and “The Paradis Street 588” (the address of the Malakian family in Marseille) upon the proposal of his friend, Armenian writer Henri Troyat. It’s known that scenario for “Mayrig” had more than 40 variants, however, only one is being published and translated in 10 languages in 1985, with 200.000 copies. Armenian version of the book is being published in 1988 in the USA. “This book, then the movie was my responsibility before my mother. I promised my father, that I’ll tell about my mother. This was the duty of my soul,” Henri Verneuil said in of the interviews.

A footage with the participation of Henri Verneuil from the set of “Mayrig”

Once one of the main actors Omar Sharif (who was later barred to enter Turkey for starring in the movie) remembers, “At the end of shooting “Mayrig” Henri confessed, “I regret for changing my surname. I wanted to be an Armenian, and I’m an Armenian”” (for the first time Ashot Malakian introduced himself to the public as Henri Verneuil, when his articles on the Armenian Cause were being published).

Paradis Street, where was the house of the Malakian family in the movie and today

Ashot Malakian, known to the world as Henri Verneuil, throughout 82 years of his life has shot 42 movies. Premiere of “Mayrig” took place in November 1991 in Marseille. The movie was simultaneously screened in 800 movie theaters in France.

The movie theater today, where teenager Azad and his friend watch movie for the first time

Henri hasn’t created anything since 1984, he isolated himself and focused on his own past. In the period of a few years he wrote 47 versions of his biography movie and decided to shoot the 48^th version. After “Mayrig” and “The Paradis Street 588” Verneuil lived for 10 years, however, he didn’t shoot any prominent movie.

The house of the Malakian family on Paradis movie and presently

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In the preamble of the French epilogue by Roger Vignon “Henri Verneuil: the biggest success of the cinema” published in 2008 in Paris, written by the main actress of “Mayrig” Claudia Cardinale, remembers,

“I first met Henri Verneuil in 1961, during “The Lions are Loose.” The first contact with him was rather frank, full with tenderness and courtesy. His work on the set was certain and clear. For me the director is the master, and I always follow the advice given to me. In 1991, already 30 years later, it’s incredible! “Mayrig,” “The Paradis Street 588.” He has chosen me to introduce his mother. What a great surprise!

Footage from the set of “Mayrig”

What love he had towards his mother…I was very touched, that he has chosen me for the role so crucial for him. I had another feeling when I met Omar Sharif…I’m 30 years old in “Mayrig,” and 80 in “The Paradis Street 588.” Every morning the makeup lasts for 2 hours, to make me an elderly woman, I was bending my body on the cane. Of course, it was the most powerful experience I had in the cinema. The makeup artist from Hollywood was a genius. This movie was being rather frequently shot on Italian TV (on French as well), and my mother was never missing it. She adored that movie.”

For the majority of the Armenian community of Marseille these movies are of unique and inmost importance. I knew about this, to be more proper, I guessed, however, what I heard from one of local Armenians, surprised me indeed. It turns out, there were cases and not once, when Armenians in Marseille visited their family doctor complaining of acute heart colic, the doctor observed and considered all the possible reasons, and it turned out, that the day before the visitor watched and revived those stirring movies, which generate the great Armenian pain. They tell that the doctor, next to necessary medications, was writing, that he was banning watching those movies.

The old railway station of Marseille—Saint Charles in the movie and today

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It was time to leave the Paradis Street, where I was standing before the Malakian house, however, there were fragments from the movie in my ears, fragments, which left their track in my memory as well. On this very street, where I was standing, years ago, one happy evening, the hero of my favorite movie Azad, the same Henri Verneuil, that very Ashot Malakian, under the light of indifferent moon invited his mother to waltz, “Mother, my childhood mother, I’ll never forget these shocking moments. When we were admiring my ring, I suddenly noticed that the ring lacked from your finger, which you never took off. That evening I noticed, that the ring from my father’s hand was also lacking. Words were suffocating me. To break the silence of absurd modesty, I decided to dance waltz and move around as long as I feel dizziness. I’ll never forget that small golden item with initials of my name, which was weighing a few tons on my finger. I’ll never forget that happiness of being together, which was promising eternity on Paradis Street…”

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