We Thrive

As a descendant of Armenian Genocide survivors, I grew up listening to the horror stories of my ancestors and often thought, "what's next for Armenians?" Lisa and Eric answered that question brilliantly in this film, capturing the essence of the Armenian resilience through music. While acknowledging the mournful melodies of generations past, "We Thrive" takes viewers on a lively and informative ride through various modern beats and explains the heartfelt motivation of the artists who make them. This story, while featuring Armenians of Metro Detroit, is a must-see for my brothers and sisters around the world - even those who are close to us in ethnicity such as Greeks and Lebanese. There's something in this documentary for everyone - the most important of which is the message that the Armenians have and continue to survive and, indeed, thrive.

There's not a lot of representation in media about Armenians in music, let alone the Armenian community in general; "We Thrive" changes that narrative by providing a deep dive into the Armenian-American musician's community. The history of the Armenian people is littered with tragedy and darkness - this film brilliantly shows the wealth of passion, love, and strength the Armenian people have and how through music, we can all thrive and be the best versions of ourselves. This film doesn't sugar coat anything, it is full of both heartbreaking and empowering scenes that will give you a new perspective on a culture you'll truly know after you watch "We Thrive".

Another musician friend of mine turned me onto this documentary that he found on Fawesome T. V and said I would probably like it knowing that I'm a musician, and highly into watching music based documentaries. My friend was correct. The majority of it is based around the current Detroit scene and has various interviews with all kinds of artists of different genres and taste. The current overall theme is that music is a very powerful healing force that I think ultimately, we all need in the world right now. Especially right now. Eric Harabadian and his wife are excellent filmmakers and I look forward to seeing what they have in store for their next project.

Congratulations to my Dear friends Lisa & Eric! They have documented many musical journeys through their films, but this one is special. As a cast member, I was quite honored to be seen along side such talented fellow Armenians. To reattach to my Armenian roots is thrilling. I enjoyed my interview process. I enjoyed the commrodery with my fellow cast members. But what came next I had not anticipated. As the film trailers were coming out and I heard snipets of the other cast members interviews I got goosebumps! A common thread of being human rings throughout. The Armenian Genocide being a sadness difficult to overcome . . . For over 100 years . . . So many generations of sadness. As I listened to each interview so many pieces of my family puzzle fit together. I gained a greater understanding of the depth of the Armenian Genocide and it's aftermath . . . The victims. That's all of us! And how does one thrive through such sadness? Music, of course! And thus it begins . . . The joy from music is just as common of a thread in this film as the sadness. We Thrive through the melodies, the dancing, the laughing with our family & friends. Does not matter your age, your religion, your race . . . The music has healing powers. We need it to survive! Much respect to Lisa & Eric for documenting such history and putting this vision of the human condition together! Grateful.

This documentary is full of reminders of life's moments that change a generation in so many ways.

When watching it, I felt each persons story of how to move forward and use music in more ways than entertainment. All of the interviews are so full of things to consider in our lives. Creativity from what seemed to be things that hender us, is a great example of being able to take the pain and turn it into power for our lives. One that stood out personally for me was the young man that stuttered and turned the problem around to create beats. I worked through that with one of my children. What I used was singing, reading and music. It took less that 45 days to see the postive results.

The openness of genocide is something that was eye opening. I look at that tragedy differently since this was shown to me by the creators of this documentary. This opened my eyes and touced my heart in so many ways. Knowing that more than less have had this happen in their generations of life. We should all take time to understand what is happening around us and what has happened in the past. It's now easy to find answers with different tools available.

As a Spiritual transformation counselor and coach, I know that music is used for therapy. It can be used to mediate, heal mental and emotional traumas. Music is also a part of happiness and joy. Being able to dance, sing along and clap your hands frees us. Some of these examples are shown in this film.

The creative talents of the production team, in my opinion, have opened doors for more success for the future.

Congratulations to the production team, all of the contributors and talents. Thank you for this beautiful opportunity to see life through your words and music. Eric Harabadian and Lisa Hagopian, thank you for this project.

I suggest that anyone who wants to see a movie that is full of energy, with great interviews and music should watch "We Thrive". You won't be disappointed.