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Film Production

LA Trip postponed

Today was supposed to be a fun day shooting The Armenian Spread in Los Angeles with Armenian Bikers. Something like 4 Armenian owned farms clumped togeher north of the city and a bunch of brand new friends I would meet, riding around in Jeeps cooking Armenian meats. Instead I’m stuck at home like everyone else and I cancelled the trip.

But I was inspired today, so the film made some progress… trying to tell the tale of who are the Armenians, how have the people changed since those early days “fresh off the boat.”
So I thought of a segment to shoot in the fall, capturing my memories of the 1970s and 1980s as those first generation immigrants were reaching the end of their lives.
Pistachio Tavloo 10 is the name of the segment and to record it properly I will need 4 chain smoking hand rolling backgammon playing pistachio eating gentlemen that can answer 10 questions about Armenian culture. -DB

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Hartford Cousins Interview

Met with descendants of Vartouhie Gedikian, she was a sister of my great grandfather Yeghise . Cousins separated from Michigan we had never met before

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Film Production

Lahmajoons in Buffalo

My wife taught my Buffalo cousins how to make Lahmajoon, the Armenian meat pizza pie . In 1922 when Onnig Gadikian died his son Garabed was only 1 year old , so never learned about his fathers culture directly.
In the next 12 months my family will be sharing recipes with them and teaching them our favorite Armenian foods .

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met some Boston Cousins

In Boston shooting interviews with cousins Linda and Vazken, as well as my new friend George

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Film Production

Detroit interviews 2019

Shooting interviews today in Michigan with cousin Diran Yazejian , my aunt Doris Krikorian and my father Ray Boujoulian

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Film Production

Armenian String Cheese in Iowa, Last Interview of summer 2019

Having some Armenian string cheese with Mark Sherinian. He’s the last interview for July 2019. Production will continue in Detroit later this year. — in Des Moines, Iowa.

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Film Production

Midwest stop with the Sherinian descendants

Interviewing Jet and Alexis, part of the Sherinian clan in Minneapolis today.

The Armenian Spread documentary is covering the descendants of Hess Sherinian and wife Rose (Aprahamian/ Mooradian )

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A Tale of Survival

The beginning of production on this film would be a day in 1991. I videotaped My grandfather about The Great Depression, and kept the camera rolling asking more about his story.

This immigration document tells me he had $90 in his pocket after crossing the ocean.

The part that gets me is “no more relations left” where he came from.

A 15 year old boy, with his sister in tow. Survived a genocide , walked a desert, became an indentured servant, fed a passing stranger some bread that would mention his name many towns over giving thanks , somehow within earshot of family who asked “where did you see this boy ? We are looking for him.”

The Armenian Spread is a tale of my ancestors and cousins, how we spread over this world and found each other again , with food , love and laughter keeping the family together.