Armenia, My Home is an amazing expedition through Armenia. It is an endearing documentary directed by Emmy Award-winner Andrew Goldberg and narrated by Emmy Award-winning actress Andrea Martin, who is the granddaughter of Armenian Genocide survivors from Van. The documentary premiered on February 27, 2024, on PBS.
I was mesmerized watching Armenia, My Home. I became enchanted with the music, the beautiful scenery and the deeply woven history lessons intertwined with commentary by Armenians from many different facets of the community. I cried, I laughed, I shook my head in disbelief at the immense tragedies that we as a people have endured, and I renewed my faith in my homeland and people.
Goldberg, the founder and owner of So Much Film in New York City, got into the news business in 1997. His first documentary released in 1999 was called The Armenian Americans. He appreciates how receptive the Armenian community is to his work. “They are very nice, and it’s not a crowded field. They always try to feed me,” he said. “I would like to see more Armenians making Armenian documentaries. The more publicity you get out there, the better it is. Two issues that need major publicity are the Armenian Genocide and Artsakh.”
Goldberg has since executive produced and directed 15 prime-time documentary specials for PBS and public television, multiple lifestyle series for HGTV and Magnolia Channel, and a variety of long and short-form segments for CBS News Sunday Morning, ABC News, NPR’s All Things Considered, E! Entertainment Television and Food Network.
According to Goldberg, Peter Balakian’s books Black Dog of Fate and The Burning Tigris were instrumental in taking conversations about Armenian issues from inside to outside the community. He learned about Armenians in 1989 during a Holocaust class. He had to report on the film, Forgotten Genocide. He realized that there were only four paragraphs written in the Encyclopedia Britannica about the Armenian Genocide. He became a storyteller and used his art to exhibit Armenia and Armenian history to the world. “The community would be better served if they spent more energy making these high-profile public conversation pieces,” Goldberg shared in a conversation with the Weekly.
“Being non-Armenian adds a journalistic credibility to it,” Goldberg reflected.
Armenia, My Home features voices from the Armenian community, including actor Eric Bogosian, author Chris Bohjalian, author Peter Balakian, journalist Araksya Karapetyan, author Dawn Anahid Mackeen, Conan O’Brien’s assistant Sona Movsesian, Primate of the Eastern Diocese Bishop Mesrop Parsamyan, educator Dottie Bengoian, artist Michael Aram, comedian Vahe Berberian, Herand and Yeraz Markarian and scholars Ron Suny and Salpi Ghazarian.
Armenia, My Home was filmed by an Australian drone crew and a team of cinematographers. The crew is known for films like Thor: Love and Thunder and Mad Max Furiosa. Two drones and a ground camera were running at all times.
“There was a little learning curve with the Armenian crew. We had a good team on the ground there. The one thing I did want was to go to Artsakh, but they had closed the Lachin Corridor. I wish I had gone in 1999,” Goldberg stated.
Armenia, My Home is very well written, edited and directed. It is a must-see documentary for everyone.
Talar Keoseyan
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This was an excellent documentary with excellent drone footage. It does make someone want to visit! The one omission in the film was not showing the memorial to the Battle of Sardarabad and telling the story of this historic victory. If the Armenians did not win this battle there would be no Armenia today.