At least 100 Armenian community members, journalists, and activists were present on March 13 to review a new documentary entitled “The Armenian Spirit,” which centers on the 2020 war between Armenia and Azerbaijan to highlight the turmoil that has resulted since. 

Producer and director Angela Asatrian traveled to Armenia in order to interview those who were dispossessed of their lands and their ancestry. Asatrian is an Armenian-American social worker, filmmaker, and author. She has a documentary and books on Amazon, and her documentary will soon be available on Amazon. 

The audience had a largely favorable opinion of the film and subject matter. “It was so informative and beautifully made,” said Lilian Tahmasian, a prominent entrepreneur and social media influencer. “Angela did an amazing job.”

Others agreed with the assertion. “I thought the documentary was very inspiring, provoked various emotions, and really captured the resilient nature of being Armenian,” said Linda Ohanessian, who is an activist in the Armenian community.

The 80-minute film is a glimpse into the war that took place in Nagorno-Karabakh region, which Armenians view as a part of their historic land. Armenians have had a continuous presence in the region since 1991 that was cut short in 2020. In the documentary, Asatrian interviews multiple families of soldiers and those who lost their homes. They all shared the same pain of losing their children and homelands to the hand of war. The film also focused on the destruction of the historical churches and landmarks that were central to the areas.

The documentary is available on Vimeo. Asatrian will be hosting a screening this summer in Glendale, with a date she plans to announce on her social media pages. 

April 24 marked the 107 years since the Armenian Genocide claimed the lives of up to a million Armenians killed in the first genocide of the 19th century.

Edward Hakobjanyan can be reached at ehakobj030@student.glendale.edu.