“They Won Through Living”: A book, a film and a mission to preserve memory

By Ani Manukyan

In 2022, my book They Won Through Living was published, telling the powerful story of 34 orphaned Armenian girls who found refuge in the Near East Relief orphanages of Alexandropol (now Gyumri). Among these stories of resilience is that of my grandmother, whose survival and the experiences of her peers in the aftermath of the Armenian Genocide are testaments to the strength of the human spirit. Two years later, in 2024, a feature-length documentary based on the book brought their stories to the screen. This film went on to win Best Short Documentary at the prestigious Pomegranate International Film Festival in Canada, ensuring that their voices would not fade into history.