We Thrive, an award-winning documentary highlighting Armenian-American musicians and the healing powers of music, will be screened at IZDOC International Documentary Festival in Izmir, Turkey at the French Culture Center from January 25-28, 2024. Detroit area filmmakers Lisa Hagopian and Eric Harabadian are honored that the progressive festival organizers agreed to screen their Armenian-American documentary.
We Thrive is a feature length documentary that demonstrates all of us can go beyond the struggles and tragedies of our lives, and the often tragic history of our ancestors, and “thrive” via music.
Hagopian and Harabadian of Vision 561 Productions LLC produced the film spotlighting an eclectic mix of musicians who share a common bond. The film features Chuck Alkazian, Stevie “Soul” Ansara, Sean Blackman, Kim Kashkasian, Hachig Kazarian, Vaughn Masropian, Tia Mayhem, Kim Naccashian, Eliza Thomasian Neals, Ara Topouzian, Tanya Venom and Dan Yessian.
Armenian-American history is a tale of genocide, struggle, survival and, ultimately, renewal. These aspects are touched on in detail through a contemporary lens that sheds light on the Armenian community at large and on a more personal scale, with stories from the subjects in the film.
We Thrive is told through conversations, archival footage, photographs and live performances. It is a unique and captivating mix of traditional Armenian music, world beat, rock, blues and classical.
We Thrive won “Best Documentary” at the Golden Door Film Festival in New Jersey and the “Independent Spirit Award” from the Detroit Trinity International Film Festival. The film was nominated for “Best Documentary” at the Glendale International Film Festival in California and “Best Music Documentary” and Lisa Hagopian for “Best Directress” by Film Threat Magazine’s “Award This!” competition.
View the We Thrive official trailer here and follow on Facebook. For more information, contact harab1@comcast.net.
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