André N. Anton is Defying Deletion

Documentary Short Increases Awareness of the Persecution of Assyrians in Iraq

by André N. Anton | Published August 30, 2011

Defying Deletion: The Fight Over Iraq’s Nineveh Plains portrays the struggle of the Assyrian race since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Assyrians are part of Iraq’s surviving indigenous population, but they are being persecuted and pushed to the brink of extinction. The emotionally-charged story told in Defying Deletion is an important one because of how this injustice has gone largely unreported by the mainstream media. Assyrians have faced persecution in Iraq—largely as a result of their Christianity—for generations, but in my documentary short Defying Deletion, I chose to focus on on post-Saddam Iraq, because the acuity of the current persecution threatens the very survival of the Assyrians as a people.

Of the 1.2 million Assyrians who lived in Iraq prior to the invasion, over 600,000 have fled the country, mostly to neighboring countries. Now, for the first time in history, there are more Assyrians living in diaspora than in their ancestral homeland. Assimilation into new cultures is inevitable. Simply stated, if Assyrians do not survive in Iraq, their culture will become extinct.

As an Assyrian-American, I knew this was a film I wanted to make. The challenge was in how to come up with the visual material without having to step foot in the war-torn country of Iraq, which would be impossible due to lack of financing. Unfortunately, a few years ago members of the Assyrian community lost several million dollars investing in a failed independent production of The Epic of Gilgamesh. They didn’t want to make the same mistake again and were wary of entrusting their finances to an unknown director.

A year and half later, when I had almost given up hope of being able to make my film, a student from the University of Toronto named Alda Benjamen sent me a Facebook message about 20 hours of footage that she had shot while in Iraq during the summer of 2007. A few weeks later a friend put me in touch with Elmer Abbo, an Assyrian doctor at the University of Chicago, who was interested in financing my film.

Alda’s footage was very strong, but it was not enough. I needed to hire a team to help me shoot visual reenactments, B-roll footage and interviews. I was fortunate to find local talent who were used to working on larger productions, and they offered their services and equipment to me at a significant discount. Of course, they did so because they were not working on one of those larger productions, but they also really appreciated the humanitarian aspect of the film.

Additional footage was obtained from Alda’s contacts in Iraq. She met a couple of videographers who worked for a satellite station in Northern Iraq and were willing to send material (based on a detailed shot list I sent them) in exchange for secondary unit credit. Footage of Assyrian refugees living in harsh conditions in Syria and Jordan was obtained from the Adopt-A-Refugee Family program.

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Comment by Sargon Alkurge on 9/01/11 at 2:26 pm

We are very proud of you Andre. you’re one great and proud aspiration to our National Awareness programs, which are direly needed worldwide. God bless you and opens all the doors of success for you.

Comment by Ramis Issac on 9/02/11 at 2:33 am

Thanks a lot for that Andre God bless you and help you....such a great work....wish you all the best

Comment by Anita on 9/05/11 at 8:57 pm

Thank you for your hard work and dedication to preserve our Assyrian nation Andre. God bless you.

Comment by Robbie Putrus on 9/05/11 at 9:00 pm

It is a good job you made this documentary Andre and to anyone else who was involved with it, I hope to see it soon. and as well I would alike to thank MovieMaker for raising awareness of what is happening to the Assyrian people.

Comment by Ramsen Khoshaba on 9/05/11 at 9:06 pm

Keep up the amazing work Andre! The Assyrians are so proud of you! God Bless brother!

Comment by Stephanie Y. on 9/05/11 at 9:09 pm

What a wonderful and well written article bringing awareness to our Assyrian nation.

Comment by Alen Barsin on 9/05/11 at 9:15 pm

Great job Andre! You’re not only a great friend, but a great Assyrian who genuinely cares about the lives of our Assyrian Brethren in the homeland of Assyria/N/. Iraq & wherever they are living as refugees. Not enough of our youth are as involved or even informed about our plight, but you’re makin waves buddy, & getting the attention our people need. As usual, behind you 100 %! Godspeed brother.

Comment by Caroline on 9/05/11 at 9:18 pm

We are all blessed to have your passion open many eyes to what is happening in Iraq. My family here and in Iraq appreciate everything you have done to raise awareness to these ruthless and inhumane acts of terror. God Bless you and all of the Christians in Iraq.

Comment by christina murado on 9/05/11 at 9:35 pm

Andre, thank you for your dedication to the Assyrian nation. So proud of all your hardvwork!

Comment by christina murado on 9/05/11 at 9:41 pm

Hard work* also, a special thank you to the magazine for helping Andre and Assyrians all over the nation by publishing this article. We need to do everything possible to help preserve our Assyrian homeland and culture. God bless.

Comment by Clarys on 9/05/11 at 9:42 pm

Andre, thank you for your hard work and dedication. Thanks to MovieMaker for raising awareness to the current persecution of the Assyrians.

Comment by Clara Rais on 9/05/11 at 9:45 pm

Andre, God bless your talents and dedication! You are doing an amazing job

Comment by Crystal Jabiro on 9/05/11 at 9:48 pm

Thank you MovieMaker Magazine for recognizing the slow genocide of Assyrians in Iraq. This indigenous population needs the world to support their preservation and their safety. Andre Anton is very passionate about the plight of the Assyrians and that fervor is adequately depicted in his award-winning documentary Defying Deletion. The film is a gut-wrenching and emotional depiction of their struggle to remain in their ancestral land. Anton is certainly one director/producer everyone should be watching.

Comment by Jon on 9/05/11 at 9:53 pm

Thank you for writing about this talented director and his documentary. You are increasing awareness about the persecution of Iraq’s indigenous people.

Comment by Mathew on 9/05/11 at 9:56 pm

Thank you for raising awareness. It is greatly appreciated. Every little thing counts in our fight against the persecution of innocent people.

Comment by Joann Betgevergiz on 9/05/11 at 9:58 pm

Great job Andre! We are so proud of you. God bless you! Like they said, we are behind you 100%.

Comment by Megin on 9/05/11 at 10:06 pm

Excellent article. The plight of the Assyrian people is one that deserves recognition, thanks to Andre for drawing attention to our cause.

Comment by SDI on 9/05/11 at 10:14 pm

Thank you so much for the excellent article. The plight of the Iraqi Christians deserves more exposure and we appreciate Andre for bringing this issue to light

Comment by Mark on 9/05/11 at 10:15 pm

thank you so much. this means a lot to all of us true chaldos.

Comment by Emmanuel Brikha on 9/05/11 at 10:16 pm

That was an awesome read. Well done Andre, and thank you ‘moviemaker’ for helping raise awareness on the Assyrian cause.

Comment by Taryn on 9/05/11 at 10:21 pm

Great movie!! Thank you for sharing this!

Comment by marc on 9/05/11 at 10:22 pm

fantastic article. great job andre. looking forward to seeing the film.

Comment by Givargiz Iriana on 9/05/11 at 10:28 pm

Great work Andre , our nation needs more people like you and your work . God bless you

Comment by Nameer Hanna on 9/05/11 at 10:31 pm

Thanks for raising awareness!

Comment by Nancy on 9/05/11 at 10:36 pm

Thanks for publishing this article and helping to raise awareness. Congrats!

Comment by Ninos Sarkis on 9/05/11 at 10:36 pm

Thanks for raising awareness!

Comment by Noor Hermiz on 9/05/11 at 10:41 pm

Thank you to “moviemaker” for helping raise awareness on the Assyrian cause. It is really appreciated. A thank you goes out to Andre as well, your continued effort and work is appreciated by Assyrians all around the world. Keep up the good work.

Comment by reem on 9/05/11 at 10:45 pm

Thank you for spreading awareness with this article, this is another step toward change. Keep up the hard work Andre!!

Comment by Nineveh on 9/05/11 at 10:55 pm

Thank you for raising awareness! This is much appreciated and truly an amazing article!

Comment by Sarine on 9/05/11 at 11:02 pm

Andre, the work you are doing is truly amazing, only the blind can have what you are up to and the stand you have taken go unnoticed...even then there is the possibility for them to see! And of course thank you to “moviemaker” for helping raise awareness for the Assyrian cause.

Comment by E on 9/05/11 at 11:19 pm

I can’t wait to watch this documentary. Thank you for all of your work in defying deletion, André.

Comment by Julyiana Mesdo on 9/05/11 at 11:25 pm

Thank you Andre for presenting the Assyrian community is such a tasteful positive manner. Keep it up and I want to thank you personally for using your great gift in this manner… I also want to thank “Movie Maker”, for publishing this article…

Comment by TOM tomeh on 9/05/11 at 11:25 pm

Thank you so much for publishing this. We need all the awareness we can get. Our community thanks you very much.

Comment by SDI on 9/05/11 at 11:35 pm

Thank you for the great article and many thanks to Andre for his amazing film. For those who have not seen it, please take time to see what all the talk is about.

Comment by Alen Yaghoubi on 9/06/11 at 12:03 am

Thank you guys for this awesome coverage. It’s truly appreciated!!

Comment by Linda on 9/06/11 at 1:50 am

Thank you to MovieMaker for picking this story up. The plight of Assyrians has been ignored for too long by the rest of the world. It’s time everyone sat up and took notice. And thank you to Andre for your passion, dedication and hard work.

Comment by ninos on 9/06/11 at 4:05 am

Thank you Andre for this great job!!!!

Comment by enlil on 9/06/11 at 5:53 am

Thank you moviemaker magazine publishing !!!!

Comment by EG on 9/06/11 at 10:11 am

I can’t wait to watch this documentary. Thank you for all your work in defying deletion, André.

Comment by Ramina youkhaneh on 9/06/11 at 10:13 am

Thank you all for your hard work and dedication in raising awareness for a great cause. Thanks a million!!!!

Comment by Chris on 9/06/11 at 11:30 am

Its great to read about young filmmakers pursuing their dreams of making a film about a serious and important subject happening in the world!! I saw the film and it is amazing and I hope more of you get the chance to see it. Its important that we spread the word about what is happening over there.

Comment by Divo Atouraya on 9/06/11 at 11:30 am

God bless you Andre, and you are doing an amazing work… God bless you again and your family!! Good luck!

Comment by Ramen Warda on 9/06/11 at 11:47 am

wooow Andre ur the best god bless u man ... long live Assyria

Comment by Ramael Odisho on 9/06/11 at 11:51 am

Thanks to gabara aziza André Anton but also big thanks to MovieMaker for helping to raise awareness of the persecution of Assyrians Christian people in Iraq!

God Bless!

Comment by Naramsin on 9/06/11 at 11:51 am

Thank you moviemaker magazine publishing
and good work andre good bless you

Comment by martina meko on 9/06/11 at 11:53 am

you’re making a difference for the assyrians in the world!! good job andré!!

Comment by gilbert on 9/06/11 at 12:08 pm

Thank you Andre and Movie Maker, keep you up the great work GOD Bless.

Comment by ANTHONY on 9/06/11 at 12:27 pm

Thanks for publishing this, means allot to all the Assyrians around the world

Comment by Paul on 9/06/11 at 12:28 pm

In a few years hundreds of thousands of Assyrians have been displaced. Andre’s short film is a good depiction of what is going on.

Comment by Romina on 9/06/11 at 12:52 pm

Great article !!!! And thanks to have it published it !!! Really good job !!!

Comment by nathan on 9/06/11 at 1:02 pm

Excellent.

Comment by Hopeta on 9/06/11 at 1:03 pm

Thank u for raising awareness . God Bless!

Comment by chris on 9/06/11 at 1:13 pm

Good Job Andre God bless you and help you, very work.wish you all the best.

Thank you moviemaker magazine for publishing.

Comment by Angela Elias on 9/06/11 at 1:47 pm

keep up the hard work, andre! thank you, movie maker, for raising awareness. it means so much to see the word is getting out. peace and love <3

Comment by Amy Azer on 9/06/11 at 1:59 pm

I commend your efforts to raise awarencess in what’s happening in Iraq.I can only pray that your hard work will pay off not only with awards but by receiving assistance from other countries. Maybe one day Iraq will be restored to a peaceful place where our families may return safely and begin living again.

Comment by Robert del Valle on 9/06/11 at 3:01 pm

An exceptionally insightful, thought-provoking, and timely work. Bravo!

Comment by symantha stephan on 9/06/11 at 3:46 pm

Special Thanks to Moviemaker Magazine for helping raise awareness of the persecution of Assyrians!

Comment by Mary Anne on 9/06/11 at 5:34 pm

Andre, thank you for all your efforts!

Comment by Anna George on 9/06/11 at 6:20 pm

Attn: Movie Maker Magazine,

Thank you for providing this feature about Defying Deletion. While there has been many perspectives on the aftermath of the Iraqi war, there has been little to no exposure about fleeting Christian minorities that remain. These people have had a tremendous amount of hardship and suffering, without the mainstream headlines to help drive causes for their survival.

I hope that the growing exposure to this great film by Andre N. Anton will help drive empathy and action to help these historical and indigenous people.

Thanks,
Anna George

Comment by Jessica on 9/06/11 at 6:38 pm

Good job Andre, keep up the hardwork! I’m sure Assyrians are proud of you. Also, special thanks to Movie Maker for the support. It means a lot to our people. God bless!

Comment by Nergal on 9/06/11 at 8:31 pm

Thanks a lot dear André Nimrud Anton. That’s a great job! GOD bless you. We, Assyrians, are proud of you.
Special thanks to Movie Maker for the support.

Comment by Ur Gabriel on 9/06/11 at 8:37 pm

Andre, your hard work and dedication is inspiring. As an Assyrian American, I am proud to see you succeed while using your resources and talents to benefit your own people. You have made huge impact on spreading the word about the current genocides against Assyrians in our ancestral homeland. Great job Andre and team! Thank you!

Comment by emmanuel sarkis on 9/06/11 at 9:16 pm

thanks for all the hard work andre. media is the greatest tool we have at our disposal to get our message across, and youve inspired me to finish and distribute the song i was working on that addresses this issue. thanks for everything!

Comment by OC on 9/06/11 at 9:20 pm

Great job Andre and everybody who also helped making this happen!

Comment by Mark Ishu on 9/06/11 at 9:52 pm

Thanks Andre for your film. I would also like to thank the publishers of MovieMaker for sharing our cause to increase awareness of the persecution of Assyrians in Iraq. It means great deal to our cause.

Comment by Tony shalalo on 9/07/11 at 2:07 am

Thank you so so so much your great help will not be forgotten

Comment by ninos on 9/07/11 at 12:41 pm

thank u moviemaker and thank u andre for ur good and hard job god bless u

Comment by Daniel Danho on 9/08/11 at 9:55 am

Thank you MovieMaker for raising awereness! A special thanks to our very own André for his hard work and dedication. It’s truly appreciated and it means a lot to our people. God Bless!

Comment by ashur on 9/08/11 at 9:59 am

Thx 4 the good job....khaya oumtan!!

Comment by Younan Samra on 9/08/11 at 10:52 am

Well done on this documentary Andre and to anyone else who was involved in it.Hope to see it soon. and as well I would like to thank MovieMaker for raising awareness of what is happening to the Assyrian people.

Comment by Mariam P. on 9/08/11 at 11:23 am

Thank you for publishing this article and shedding light on this project!!

Comment by Adlil Issakoo on 9/08/11 at 11:29 am

Thank you to MoiveMaker for raising awareness and to Andre Anton for all his hard work and dedication to the Assyrian community.

Comment by sargon S. on 9/08/11 at 11:34 am

Great job Andre. Keep up the great good work.

Comment by Helen Z. on 9/08/11 at 3:46 pm

Great job Anton! Keep up the hard work! You have millions who support your cause, Assyrians and non-Assyrians. We are so proud!

Comment by Helen Mando on 9/08/11 at 4:23 pm

Extraordinary job on this documentary.Job well done to the entire amazing crew that work very hard in putting this produciton together. Thank you for your love and dedication! And most importanly thank you for giving us some HOPE! BRAVO can’t wait to see your next production!!

Comment by Caner Yaramis on 9/08/11 at 4:23 pm

Thank you al for sharing the video..And André we are very proud to have people like you in our nation

Comment by Eddie Khamis on 9/08/11 at 4:28 pm

well done andre!! keep the awareness going! very very proud

Comment by jacqueline jawaro on 9/08/11 at 4:35 pm

Great job dear Andre, i am so proud to be assyrian and our nation needs more people like you. God bless you!!

Comment by fady maksabo on 9/08/11 at 4:48 pm

Thanx 4 moviemaker magazine posting Andre’s article....

Comment by Zina on 9/08/11 at 4:56 pm

Thank you MovieMaker Magazine for helping to raise awareness of Assyrian.Great work Andre.. God Bless

Comment by Ashur Nissan on 9/08/11 at 5:37 pm

Thank You MovieMaker Magazine for helping into bringing Awareness of the Assyrians that are persecuted in their Homeland. Also, I would like thank Andre for your hard work in bringing Awareness of the Persecuted Assyrians in Iraq and may God Bless you!

Comment by Sämsön Khöüßier on 9/09/11 at 12:38 am

Absolutely fantastic! It was a pleasure reading! Thanks!

Comment by Charlotte on 9/10/11 at 11:10 am

Thank You MovieMaker Magazine for helping into bringing Awareness of the Assyrians that are persecuted in their Homeland.

Comment by Jacqueline Georges on 9/10/11 at 11:24 am

Thank you Movie maker for this very important issue publication; thank you Andre for this relevant article that we so need to raise the awareness to this vital issue the prosecution of the Assyrians that has been ignored for years..I appreciate and enjoyed reading such important publication..wish to see many of this kind of publication to help raise the awareness further and further until the whole world will realize and see this is actually happening...so proud of you Andre.

Comment by Paul Azzo on 9/10/11 at 11:27 am

I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE MAGAZINE FOR TELLING THIS STORY OF OUR STRUGGLE IN OUR OWN HOME LAND, THE STRUGGLE OF THE ANCIENT ASSYRIANS IN MODERN DAY IRAQ.

A BIG THANKS ALSO MUST GO TO ANDRE FOR HIS GREAT WORK.

GOD BLESS

PAUL AZZO

SYDNEY AUSTRALIA

Comment by Antoine Azzo on 9/10/11 at 11:38 am

Its Great to see the Truth Told about the Assyrians of Ancient Mesopotamia & what is Happening to them Today in The So Called Liberation, i guess they did not Really mean the Assyrians in the Equation.

Liberation for who ? Defiently Not The Assyrians

Thanks Andre & Movie Maker for Telling This Sad Story

Comment by Elie Azzo on 9/10/11 at 11:45 am

thank u andre & this great movie maker magazine in telling the world what is really happening to our assyrian people in a post saddam iraq. we were better off under saddam compared to now

Comment by Hopeko on 9/10/11 at 11:59 am

Thanks For moviemaker magazine

Comment by Charbel Azzo on 9/10/11 at 7:09 pm

The sad story of what is Really happening to The Christian Assyrians in Iraq from a Population of 10% Prior to the Invasion, now they are Fighting just for survival. Without any help from the Government of Iraq or the West the Assyrians are Struggling to Survive.

Thanks to Movie Maker Magazine & Andre !!!

Comment by Elie on 9/12/11 at 7:31 am

Thank you for letting the World know....

André N. Anton is Defying Deletion

Documentary Short Increases Awareness of the Persecution of Assyrians in Iraq

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