WATERTOWN — Diana Agabeg Apcar, a woman born far away from her homeland not only ended up representing her country of origin as an ambassador but also saved possibly thousands from death during the Armenian Genocide. Her story is becoming known to a whole new generation thanks to a documentary on her life by her great-granddaughter, Mimi Malayan.
On Sunday, September 29, several Armenian groups banded together to co-sponsor a viewing of Malayan’s “The Stateless Diplomat: Diana Apcar’s Heroic Life,” at the Mosesian Center for the Arts in Watertown.
Before the start of the movie, introductions were made by Project SAVE Executive Director Tsoleen Sarian, followed by special guest Setsuo Ohmori, the consul of Japan in Boston. “It is an honor to be here as a diplomat from Japan,” he said, also paying tribute to Apcar as the first woman diplomat.
She was often heartbroken and led a difficult life, but she set her sights on helping her people. Her efforts are only now being recognized.
Malayan in her comments said, “It has been a labor of love for me,” she said. “It has taken eight years to complete.”
For her, Apcar was first only her great-grandmother. Slowly, she said, she kept hearing about her stories and sought to look deeper. “The more I investigated, the more awestruck I became,” she said.
