Following its popular nationwide premiere on PBS, the award-winning documentary The Hidden Map has been scheduled to air again in several cities from Los Angeles to Boston during the network’s August pledge drive.
Especially noteworthy is Boston WGBH’s novel approach to telling the Armenian story. Recognizing its vibrant Armenian community, WGBH made the important decision to spend an entire day recording studio breaks for the upcoming broadcasts of the documentary in the impressive Armenian Museum of America in Watertown. Collaborating with filmmaker Ani Hovannisian and museum director Jason Sohigian, the WGBH team created a program that celebrates Armenian heritage, history and resilience, featuring lively exchanges and museum treasures to accompany the film. They hope to engage their diverse viewership including Armenians with the rich 90-minute program which will premiere on the main channel GBH2 on August 15 at 7:30 p.m.
Boston GBH2 Special-Event Premiere of The Hidden Map:
Monday, August 15, 2022 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, August 21, 2022 at 5:00 pm
If viewers miss the primary showings, they can also watch on GBH44:
Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 12:00 pm
Saturday, August 20, 2022 at 6:00 pm
Filmmaker Ani Hovannisian in a hidden chapel of Hokeats Vank near Van, Historic Armenia
August airdates and times in other PBS markets including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Fresno, New York, New Jersey, Washington, Seattle, Cleveland, Phoenix, Tucson, Tampa, Miami, Philadelphia, Lexington, Charleston, Louisville, Grand Rapids, Providence, Austin, Fort Wayne and many more are available by checking local PBS schedules or thehiddenmap.com.
The Hidden Map takes viewers on a daring journey with Hovannisian, a granddaughter of Genocide survivors, as she ventures to the lost ancestral Armenian homeland to uncover the forbidden past. A chance meeting with a Scottish explorer leads to a joint odyssey beneath the surface of modern-day Turkey, where the duo discovers sacred relics, silenced voices and the hidden map. They also meet Turks, Kurds and ‘hidden’ Armenians who risk their safety by revealing long-buried truths.
WGBH hosts Melissa Jones, Eric Luskin and filmmaker Ani Hovannisian (left) at Armenian Museum of America
This is among the only Armenian films ever to be nationally distributed by PBS, giving the filmmaker and diasporan community the rare opportunity to help keep the story on the air for millions more to discover.
“It’s a huge exhale,” said Hovannisian, “to know that PBS has taken the Armenian story and championed the truth by sharing The Hidden Map with viewers over and over again. They also do it because viewers are responding. It’s a team effort, just as it is our collective story. So, it was especially exciting to film studio breaks with WGBH hosts in the awesome Armenian Museum of America where thousands of years of Armenian creation, destruction and rebirth go hand in hand with the film.”
Museum director Jason Sohigian and filmmaker Ani Hovannisian
Museum Director Jason Sohigian added, “It was an honor to host WGBH-TV again at the Armenian Museum of America for their annual pledge drive. We’ve watched Ani’s documentary every time it has aired on PBS and look forward to these special broadcasts, especially as the museum and film reflect many of the same themes, namely the survival and resilience of the Armenian people. We are here to share that history and culture with the world.”
Viewers who pledge a nominal amount in support of PBS’s broadcasts of The Hidden Map will help ensure additional airings on a national stage, and receive exclusive gifts, including exquisite hand-crocheted dolls made by women in Goris, Armenia, along with museum passes, DVD and Lavash cookbook.
