“THE STATELESS DIPLOMAT” Screening + Q & A with Mimi Malayan

Join the Stanford Armenian Students Association for a special screening of “The Stateless Diplomat”, a powerful documentary that brings to light the extraordinary life of Diana Apcar. For a decade, before and after Apcar’s appointment as Armenia’s Honorary Consul to Japan, she fought tirelessly for Armenian Genocide survivors, offering aid and advocacy at a time when the world turned a blind eye. Through her words and actions, she stood as a beacon of resilience and compassion. Experience her remarkable story on April 15 at 7 PM in Roble Theater with a screening followed by a Q&A with the filmmaker, and Apcar’s great-granddaughter, Mimi Malayan. The event is free and open to the public.
Trailer: https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/684864883
Synopsis:
Diana Apcar, consul to Japan from Armenia, was an idealistic Armenian woman living in Yokohama at the time when women and politics rarely coexisted. For years she tried to attract attention to the plight of the Armenians perishing under Ottoman rule, writing constantly.
Her books, articles and letters to world leaders show her deep insight into world politics, blaming the European Powers for setting the framework to allow the Armenian Genocide, and forecasting continuing atrocities towards the Armenians. She pleads with her readers. But her voice remains unheard, and her worst predictions come true.
Some survivors flee to Russia only to find the country deep in revolution and civil war: “the only safe direction is east.” Many of the survivors have relatives in the U.S. and wish to join them; their hopes fade as they travel thousands of miles across Siberia. In Japan, Diana is eagerly helping these people. They are desperate, penniless, undocumented and lost. Will they even be able to survive?
Contrasting textures and sounds of Japan, Russia, India, and the Ottoman Empire paint the picture of this dangerous journey, a story of loss and hope.