AWARD THIS! 2023 NOMINEE! I’m keen to place myself on the market. Until ten years in the past, I by no means knew concerning the Armenian Genocide, not a single factor. I point out this as a result of I do know I’m not the one one. So how did I find out about this tragic chapter in human historical past? Through motion pictures and documentaries, in fact. While a lot of the movies I’ve seen go into nice historic element, Lisa Hagopian and Eric Harabadian’s documentary, We Thrive, explores the wealthy tradition of Armenian artists and music to come back out of the genocide.
We Thrive locations the highlight on over a dozen American musicians of Armenian descent. This consists of Hachig Kazarian, Kim Kashkashian, Dan Yessian, Sean Blackman, Ara Topouzian, Tia Mayhem, Tanya Venom, Rubik Mailian, Simon Javizian, Eliza Neals, Chuck Alkazian, amongst others. Their testimonies are interwoven all through, because the film is damaged into a number of elements.
Part one goes into the backgrounds of every artist, together with their musical pursuits and heritage. Part two speaks to their Armenian tradition, historical past, and their particular person, familial expertise with the Armenian Genocide perpetrated in 1915 by the Turks and the Ottoman Empire. Lastly, Hagopian and Harabadian go into nice element about how their tradition’s tragedy and triumph influenced every artist’s musical type and efficiency.
The cause to see We Thrive is the music. The aim of lots of the artists within the documentary is to carry conventional Armenian music to the forefront. The musicians are extremely completed, the music is brilliantly produced, and people featured communicate very distinctly about how their tradition influenced their work.
“…how their tradition’s tragedy and triumph influenced every artist’s musical type and efficiency.”
While the music is distinctly Armenian, you may hear its similarities to that area’s Persian and Middle Eastern music. The widespread thread is its use of the minor key, which appears to replicate the tragic nature of its individuals, who carry the reminiscence of the genocide with them. For you musicians, the music chatter will get deep into the weeds. In a method, it honors these misplaced and carries their reminiscence in hopes such tragedies won’t ever occur once more. Many artists nonetheless use basic Armenian devices just like the Kanun (a Middle Eastern harp with 78 strings), whereas others maintain true to classical Christian songs and hymns to encourage hope.
Other artists have been capable of department out into totally different musical genres whereas staying related to their roots. Eliza Neals is a well known blues rock singer with ten albums. Tia Mayhem and Tanya Venom are twin onerous rock singers referred to as Venom and Meyhem. Chuck Alkazian is a profitable report producer who produced songs with the likes of The Romantics and Eminem.
I discussed this initially, however We Thrive proves why unbiased documentaries are so important to help. How can most of us undergo life not figuring out the breadth of human historical past with out indie movies (yeah, books too)? Formal schooling picks and chooses what they suppose is vital to us, and films like this fill in these very important gaps.
Filmmakers Lisa Hagopian and Eric Harabadian do improbable work in We Thrive. There is quite a lot of materials they current, they usually’re capable of not solely cowl a lot floor whereas shifting the story alongside on the proper tempo in a heart-warming and toe-tapping method.
For screening data, go to the We Thrive official web site. We Thrive is a 2023 Award This! Music Documentary nominee.
