Australian documentary ‘The Golden Chain of Mercy’ highlights nation’s role in saving victims from massacres in Ottoman Empire and Kemalist Turkey

SYDNEY — Media in Australia recently spotlighted a new documentary directed by renowned Armenian filmmaker Manuel Sarabekian. The film, titled The Golden Series of Mercy, delves into Australia’s efforts to support survivors of the massacres committed by the Ottoman Empire and Kemalist Turkey.

This powerful documentary showcases how Australia played a crucial role in rescuing Armenian, Syriac (Aramean–Assyrian–Chaldean), and Greek victims from the horrors of the Ottoman Empire. It also revisits the events of World War I, offering a poignant look at the lives of those who survived the massacres, featuring testimonies from victims and eyewitnesses.

The film underscores the atrocities committed against Christian communities by the Ottoman Empire before its collapse and by the Kemalist Turkey that replaced it. Amidst this dark chapter, hope emerged through the intervention and sacrifices of Australian and New Zealand forces during the Gallipoli campaign, which fought against the Ottomans.

The documentary premiered in Sydney cinemas, followed by dialogue sessions between director Sarabekian and researcher Panayiotis Diamades, focusing on the Sayfo Genocide and the broader context of the atrocities.