Unseen Singers

A short film by the Armenian Institute, in memory of the victims and survivors of the Armenian Genocide, 24 April 1915.

Unseen Singers emerged from the Armenian Institute as the anniversary of the commemoration of the genocide approached us in April 2021. I wanted to create a sonic piece that featured voices of genocide survivors. My concept and sound recordings turned into a film thanks to my friend and colleague, Anoushka Berberian, who edited our family photos and visuals from the region against the backdrop of our voices. Every staff member at the Armenian Institute has been personally affected by the genocide: whether it be through loss of lineage, homes, land and family members, forced displacement or exile.

Our film remembers our heritage: our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents’ names; their villages and occupations; their migration stories and memories of life. We hope to embody their resistance in our every day through remembering, recording and preserving.