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In honor of Artsakh's hard-fought 29th anniversary of its independence, we released a documentary short film shot on location that focuses on the power of rap music and the ingenuity of the Armenians in Artsakh who create art - and inspiration - out of the barest resources.
For the next month, the screening of Rapping Under Fire will be free and open to the public. If you wish, please consider making a donation in any amount towards this campaign that will benefit the Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund, which provides life-saving first-aid kits and supplies to soldiers on Artsakh's battlefields, as well as the Martakert Cultural Center - a creative space for youth, located less than 2 miles from the Azeri border, that was damaged during recent clashes.
The poetically and socially charged rap featured in the film comes from Artsakh's first rappers - Spartak Osipyan, Valeri Ghazaryan and Erik Poghosyan, alongside the first female rapper Vika and the youngest one, Sego, who all crossed paths at the Martakert Cultural Center - where Spartak, Valeri and Erik volunteer as mentors. While we filmed there we shared in conversations with the youth and their parents. One mother said she hoped her son would not face the same conflict and violence she did growing up - that the war should have only scarred her generation, not her children's.
It's through documentaries such as this that we discover and showcase the resilient and talented people of Artsakh, a territory that remains unrecognized to the rest of the world. We hope to film more profiles in the future that give us a glimpse into the rich voices of these lands that are filled with strength, humility and history.
Thank you for your interest in this film that will help benefit the Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund, the Martakert Cultural Center, and production. We appreciate you supporting art that highlights marginalized people as we collectively work towards the day that the cycle of violence and war is eradicated.
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Three young men spend their lives in an active war zone, surviving a lingering, forgotten conflict from the dying days of the Soviet Union. They discover rap music, and adopt its style--defiant, proud, rapid-fire—as a voice to express their fears and desires to an eager younger generation.
Rapping Under Fire
A film by Taleen Babayan
Shot on location in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)
Featuring: Spartak Osipyan, Valeri Ghazaryan, Erik Pogosyan
Narrator: Sebu Simonian
Editor: Artur Petrosyan
Writers: Christopher Zakian & Karine Abalyan
Production Manager: Stephan Havatian
Cinematographers: Suren Ter Grigorian & Mher Hovnan
©Boundaryless Productions
For the next month, the screening of Rapping Under Fire will be free and open to the public. If you wish, please consider making a donation in any amount towards this campaign that will benefit the Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund, which provides life-saving first-aid kits and supplies to soldiers on Artsakh's battlefields, as well as the Martakert Cultural Center - a creative space for youth, located less than 2 miles from the Azeri border, that was damaged during recent clashes.
The poetically and socially charged rap featured in the film comes from Artsakh's first rappers - Spartak Osipyan, Valeri Ghazaryan and Erik Poghosyan, alongside the first female rapper Vika and the youngest one, Sego, who all crossed paths at the Martakert Cultural Center - where Spartak, Valeri and Erik volunteer as mentors. While we filmed there we shared in conversations with the youth and their parents. One mother said she hoped her son would not face the same conflict and violence she did growing up - that the war should have only scarred her generation, not her children's.
It's through documentaries such as this that we discover and showcase the resilient and talented people of Artsakh, a territory that remains unrecognized to the rest of the world. We hope to film more profiles in the future that give us a glimpse into the rich voices of these lands that are filled with strength, humility and history.
Thank you for your interest in this film that will help benefit the Armenian Wounded Heroes Fund, the Martakert Cultural Center, and production. We appreciate you supporting art that highlights marginalized people as we collectively work towards the day that the cycle of violence and war is eradicated.
--
Three young men spend their lives in an active war zone, surviving a lingering, forgotten conflict from the dying days of the Soviet Union. They discover rap music, and adopt its style--defiant, proud, rapid-fire—as a voice to express their fears and desires to an eager younger generation.
Rapping Under Fire
A film by Taleen Babayan
Shot on location in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)
Featuring: Spartak Osipyan, Valeri Ghazaryan, Erik Pogosyan
Narrator: Sebu Simonian
Editor: Artur Petrosyan
Writers: Christopher Zakian & Karine Abalyan
Production Manager: Stephan Havatian
Cinematographers: Suren Ter Grigorian & Mher Hovnan
©Boundaryless Productions
Co-organizers (4)
Taleen Babayan
Organizer
New York, NY
Jirair Khorozian
Co-organizer
Kristen Reidlinger
Co-organizer
Stephane Havatian
Co-organizer